Am I able to update my IPAD 2 to iOS 11?

No and never.

An iPad 2 is a 7 year old iDevice, now.

The iPad 2, 3 and 1st generation iPad Mini are all ineligible and excluded from upgrading to iOS 10 AND iOS 11.

They all share similar hardware architectures and a less powerful 1.0 Ghz CPU that Apple has deemed insufficiently powerful enough to even run the basic, barebones features of iOS 10 OR iOS 11!

Also, both iPad 2 and 1st gen iPad Mini have a paltry 512 MBs ( NOT GBs ) of internal RAM.

No where near enough RAM to sufficiently run either iOS 10 or 11.

Most iPads have, at least 1 GB of RAM and all newer iPads have 2 GBs or more of internal RAM, now, which is plenty of RAM to run newer versions of iOS.

In addition, iOS 11 is now for newer 64-bit hardware iDevices, now.

All older iPads ( iPad 1, 2, 3, 4 and 1st generation iPad Mini ) are 32-bit hardware devices incompatible with iOS 11and all newer, future versions of iOS.

Why would you want to even consider upgrading an older iPad, anyways?

Since iOS 8, older iPad models such as the iPad 2, 3 and 4 have only been getting the most basic of iOS features.

Older iPad users get none of the newest and coolest cutting edge features that newer model iDevices, with better hardware specs, can handle with more aplomb.

Plus, the iPad 2 and 3 are the only two unsupported models left that use the much outdated 30 pin dock connector.

The same iPad 2 and 3 users who whined, moaned, groaned and vehemently complained that both iOS 8 and 9 slowed down the performance of their iPad 2 models to a crawl, would come back, once again, in angry droves, with even more complaints of severe slowdowns under iOS 10 or iOS 11.

FYI,

Just because your iPad 2 is no longer able to upgrade to the latest iOS doesn't mean your iPad 2 is suddenly useless.

Your iPad 2 will work as it always has and the apps you have installed on it will continue to update and receive some level of app updates relevant to your current iOS.

You have had four years of iOS upgrades and updates.

Your iPad 2 will still do everything it does now and you will, get, at least, another full year, perhaps two, if you decide you want to wait longer to get a new or newer iPad model.

Your iPad 2 is NOT, suddenly, becoming obsolete or useless.

So, your options are really keep using your iPad 2 or purchase a new iPad if you feel you need or want to.

Your current iPad 2 will still work and continue to receive app updates for some time, when, with the current versions of iOS 11, ALL support for older 32 bit iDevices and any iOS 32 bit apps will come to a final end.

Your iPad 2 will still work and function as it always has, but will no longer receive any more app updates some time in the foreseeable future.

The final app updates your iPad 2 will end up receiving will be their last!

Your iPad 2 should STILL be receiving app updates, currently, but look for this to end sometime soon.

This is why Apple introduced the new, lower cost 2018 and 2017 iPad 6th and 5th generation models.

Apple is trying to get older iPad 2, 3, 4 and 1st gen Mini iPad users to upgrade to more modern iPad hardware in anticipation of the recent releases of iOS 11, which will render all older 32 bit iDevices obsolete, in time.

So, the decisions are really up to you!

If you decide to stick with your older iPad until it is no longer getting any app updates, I would STOP using that 2-2-1/2 year old Safari web browser, as it is, probably, not safe and secure to use any longer, and seek out a third party web browser that is STILL currently being updated and STILL being supported on iOS 9.3.5.

Here are a few third party web browsers that I know are STILL being updated and supported on iOS 9.

Perfect Web browser

iCab Mobile Web browser

Dolphin Web browser

Aloha Web browser

Maven Web browser

Maxthon Web browser

Opera Web Browser

Good Luck to You!

No, the iPad 2 will not update to anything beyond iOS 9.3.5.

IF you need older versions of apps for your iPad 2.

Apps may have older iOS 9.3.5 versions still available from the iOS App Store.

There are two ways to try/attempt to get an older version of an app.

If you have a newer iDevice, install the newer version of the app to your newer iDevice first.

Then, back on your iPad, you can try to download the latest app from the iOS App Store and if the developer/s has/have left an older, compatible version of their app/s on Apple's app servers, then you will receive a small window pop-up prompt that states that there is an older version of the app that is compatible with your device.. Would you like to download this version now.

Tap the OK button just below the prompt to start the downloading of the older app version to your iPad.

If you need older apps for that iPad, if you have a computer with an older version of iTunes (version 12.6.4 or earlier ), you can try downloading the most recent versions/s of app/s, by accessing the iOS App Store, through iTunes, and then, download the recent version of the app/s you like to use on your iPad, to iTunes on your computer, FIRST.

IF you own a computer with an older version of iTunes already on it, try using that version as an older iPad does not need the latest iTunes version.

If you have a computer, but NO iTunes on it, here is a link to the older 12.6.4 version for download found in this Apple weblink.

Older versions of iTunes found here.

https://support.apple.com/downloads/itunes

iTunes 12.6.4 here.

https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT208079

DO NOT download OR USE the latest version of iTunes (version 12.7.x) as there is no more support for saving apps in iTunes under the most recent versions.

If you have already downloaded the recent 12.7.x version of iTunes, NONE of what I have wriiten here in this post reply may work!

You will need to use an older iTunes version and once it is downloaded and installed on your computer, at launch, hold down the Opt/Alt key on your keyboard while launching this older iTunee version, so you can create a new Tunes library.

BEFORE DOING the IMMEDIATELY ABOVE, if you use iTunes on a computer and already have an iTunes Library, you will need to find the iTunes Library folder on your computer and, temporarily, move/copy this folder to another location so you do not accidentally write over your existing current iTunes library.

Then, back on your iPad, you can try to download the latest app from the iOS App Store and if the developer/s has/have left an older, compatible version of their app/s on Apple's app servers, then you will receive a small window pop-up prompt that states that there is an older version of the app that is compatible with your device.. Would you like to download this version now.

Tap the OK button just below the prompt to start the downloading of the older app version to your iPad.

Once again, Good Luck to You!

Here is my shortened list of things to help improve your iPad 2 performance on iOS 9.

Try a hard reset of your iPad by holding down both the Home and sleep/wake buttons until your iPad goes dark and restarts with Apple logo, then release the buttons.

How much free data storage space is left on your iPad?

iDevices need to always maintain, at the very least, between 2-3 GBs, OR GREATER, of free data storage space.

Have you tried re-adjusting your iPad’s screen brightness to a lower, but still comfortable intensity?

In Settings app, under General settings, Reset panel, at the right bottom of the list, Reset All Settings.

In Settings App, General,Reset, Reset Network Settings, try resetting your network settings.

In Settings app, General settings panel, turn OFF Background App Refresh for any apps you feel do not need constant data updating/Internet updating in the background when not using the an app OR turn OFF Background App Refresh entirely/globally for the entire device.

Do the same in the Settings app under Notifications.Turn off notifications for apps you do not think you need notifications for and/or edit the different ways you receive notifications to help with performance by not always using all the notification methods together.

In Settings app under Mail, you may want to set a longer fetch time or set your iOS Mail app to only manually fetch your mail ONLY when you launch the iOS Mail app.

Also, in general, if you want a faster IDevice, on all of my iDevices, I turn off most of the iOS motion graphics eye candy, by simply turning ON Reduce Motion in Settings app, General, Accessibilty settings.

Also, go into Settings, General, Accessibility, Increase Contrast and turn ON Reduce Transparency. Your iPad won’t look as pretty, but iPad speed will improve considerably. If you don’t like this look, then, turn OFF Reduce Transparency, but the additional speed boost will go away, as well.

Make sure you aren't running 30 to 50 OR A WHOLE LOT MORE background apps in the iOS 11 Control Panel/App Switcher.

If you are, you need to quit the bulk of these background running apps by tap and hold a finger on an app window in the switcher and slide your finger upwards to quit an app. You should be able to use more than one finger to quit more than one app window simultaneously.

Also, make sure you don’t have 20 OR A WHOLE LOT MORE of active website tabs running in the web browser.

If you do, greatly reduce the amount of active website tabs your web browser.

Any large amount of background running apps or active processes that have to constantly go out to the Web to fetch data ALL THE TIME is going to slow down ANY iDevice and CAN, also, negatively impact battery life.

Some minority of user have been turning ON and leaving ON iCloud backups continuously backing up on a constant and daily basis.

If you are one of these users, in Settings App, tap your Apple ID, then tap iCloud, then find iCloud backup and turn off iCloud backup and only turn this on to do daily backups either when you are not using your iPad for a prolonged period of time (like when you are sleeping), then turn iCloud backups OFF when actually using your iPad.

OR

Only perform your backups on a lesser time schedule.( like twice a week, once a week, once every two weeks, once a month, etc.).

Good Luck to You!