iPad Air 2 slow after iOS 12 update

Some of us, like me, keep falling into the system update trap. Apple panders bug fixes and security imrovements (that you can never ever verify) while all they want is pushing you to buy a new iPad.

If Apple were in good faith they would let us reinstall the old system version.

Developpers: please design an app that prevents us to do any system change.

Users: let's not use the misleading frase system upgrade. System dooming 12.2 is way more accurate.

The best advice ever! Complete with thorow explanation and a solution. Thank you so much, really.

As for us stupidly upgrading our IOS, what got me was Apple banging on and on about the security bugs the newest version would have fixed. May be so, but what is the likelihood of the new IOS having no security issues?

Stupid me!

Thanx again.

> Just because Apple pushes iOS/macOS upgrades/updates to their devices and computer, doesn’t mean you are forced to install them.

Not entirely true. If you know a way to reject the latest iOS after factory reset, I'd like to know it. Otherwise, 'force' is the right word for it.

It's been garbage since 10 came out. The last acceptable iOS version for iPad Air was 9. The rest slows it down worse and worse. Mine struggles with iOS 11. I'm not installing 12 until I am forced to install it (ie. after a factory reset). Btw, I don't see an answer regarding how to avoid installing the latest iOS version after factory resetting the device so I guess you don't know it either (or there is no way to avoid it. Apple forces it down our throat if we factory reset the device).

I've done a handful of complete erase of all contents on my iPad Pro, over the three year period, to reinstall backups, and have never had an iOS upgrade/update install automatically behind the scenes, ever!

But, again, I always make sure there are no iOS upgrade/update files on my iPad, using the method I outlined to the previous Poster I replied to.

I have never, EVER had this happen to ANY of my iDevices.

When I’ve dond an Erase All Settings and Contents and setup my iPad, the iOS version it had was the one that was still on it.

My iDevices have never just automatically upgraded/updated iOS magically on its own.

I've always thought that if we reset all contents and settings (factory reset), the device will check for newer version when you configure it as a new device. And if a newer version is available, there is no way to proceed without installing it. Is that not the case any longer? As an example, I'm running 11 and if I factory reset, it'll detect 12 (and yes iPad Air is compatible) and forces me to install 12 or else I can't set it up as new.

Since updating my iPad Air 2 to iOS 12.1.4 its internet connectivity speed has slowed to a snail's pace. I tried to follow the instructions given by MichelPM to remove the update, all the other ideas suggested having failed, but was unable to see anything resembling "iOS 12.1.4" in the list of apps generated under storage.

Can anyone tell me how to rid my iPad of this horrible update? It has made my iPad virtually useless.

Thanks.

Thanks, ShagCA, but I don't know how to do any of that. I spent over an hour with Apple (non) Support yesterday while the tech kept telling me it had nothing to do with the update and having me put my iPad close to the router and move away from the router. I guess I'm just doomed to having an unusable iPad until Apple fixes this. :(

good for her. I'm also running 11, slow but usable.

My 1st gen iPad Air is also painfully slow now. It’s as laggy as my mom’s 2nd gen iPad. This iPad Air used to be very zippy.

Very disappointing.

I'm still running iOS 11. That means when it is time to sell the device, I'd be selling a barely usable iPad. That's the sad truth.

Since I have never ran into this issue, I can’t really say.

This has never happened to me, ever, when I erased and reset my iPad Pro.

Sorry, MichelPM, I misunderstood your instructions. And, yes, I have tried a hard reset, removing all apps running in the background, and clearing the history, etc.

Thank you! I’ve tried all from your list, what I didn’t do earlier. Now I can use Safari, but only if I have opened 1 or 2 tabs, if I open 3rd tab it’s getting slowly again. I must mention that my iPad memory is only 16 gigabytes and almost 10 gigabytes is busy just with OS. That several apps that I didn’t delete I offloaded them, so I have only 4 GB internal memory. I don’t play games. Only files I have are just ibooks and I offloaded them. I don’t know why system is taking almost 10 GBs without apps. Thanks again for your advice, because it helped me and now at least I can use internet, watch videos on YT and read my pdf books. I’m not satisfied as I was, but now I can use at least some basics. I’m gonna try to reinstall the Skype and see is it usable now. Honestly I’m very sorry for 5 apps I had to delete them, because they were very helpful to me as a Musician and I don’t mean about GarageBand, but about 5 other very helpful apps for musicians and I miss them a lot! My iPad Air 1 is old, but until iOS 12 came out it was just right for me and I used to take my iPad on gigs and for practicing home. Simply iPad is much more comfortable than iPhone and PS.

Yes, iOS 11 was total garbage.

I avoided it like a scourge to my iDevices. IOS 11 was FAR worse than iOS 8, which is the one I avoided, as well, and why I think my 7-year old iPad 2 is running iOS 9 so much better than anyone else that had installed iOS 8 previously on older iPad 2 and 3 models before upgrading to iOS 9.

Both iOS 8 and 9 , for most iPad 2 users, really hurt the performance of that device.

My iPad 2 seemed to fare a lot better on iOS 9 by simply skipping iOS 8.

On my iPad Pro, I waited, pretty much to end of iOS 10’s update cycle to update and my iPad Pro is been running very well with it!

Not ready to give that performance and stability up for two very bug-laden iOS versions that came after.

Although iOS 12 seems to be better of these two.

Maybe “lucky iOS 13” will be the ticket for me and my three year old iPad Pro.

See, I am willing to wait out these problematic iOS versions until I think something better has, finally, made it!.

I am tired of Apple making the general public its beta testers.

It’s that simple for me.

Have you done anything to help improve the performance of that iPad Air 2 on iOS 11?

Why not just acquiesce and perform ALL of my perofmance tips in my user tips that I post on a regular basis.

Whaddya got to lose at this point.

There maybe items in my user tip that you haven’ t tried or put to complete use.

Slow iPad on iOS 9, 10 or 11! - Apple Community