If you’re using an older iPad model – such as the third-generation iPad Air or the fourth-generation iPad Mini, both of which came out in spring 2019 – it won’t run as snappily today as it did when you bought it new. While you can install the latest iPadOS 15 operating system on the two three-year-old tablets, that doesn’t have to mean a speedup. Tips on how to get your iPad back on track abound. We’ve picked out a total of eleven measures that, in our experience, work best.
Tip 1: Delete apps
As a first step you should get rid of superfluous software. Remove all apps from your iPad that you no longer need. Apps take up memory – and the more of it that is available to the operating system alone, the more effectively it can work.
By the way, this is really about deleting apps from the device – just closing the software completely (by wiping it out from the top of the screen) won’t get you anywhere. While there is a persistent rumor that closing some apps will free up memory and speed up the iPadOS, this is not the case. A pure myth.
Tip 2: Delete large files
Now that you’ve already parted with some apps, it’s time to slim down the remaining software a bit – by lightening it of its app files.
Click on "Settings> General> iPad storage". Keep an eye out here for apps that take up a particularly large amount of memory. The usual suspects here are podcasts and photos& Camera. Select an app to view its contents and swipe left on an item you don’t need. Then confirm the process by clicking "Delete". With a current system, you can also automatically swap out apps you don’t need and list and delete large file attachments in messages.
Tip 3: Restart
Now that you’ve rid your iPad of unnecessary clutter, it could use a reboot. This will refresh the memory and allow redistribution.
Press and hold the power button until you see the power off button – tap on it. Restart the iPad afterwards by pressing the power button again.
Tip 4: Turn off App Refresh
After the first three steps your iPad should run a bit faster again. If you have an older iPad, you will be better off if you turn off some features you don’t really need. For example, the app updates that run in the background.
Click on "Preferences> General> Background Update" and set the same there to Off.
Tip 5: Update iOS
A warning beforehand: Updating the existing iPadOS to a completely new version can bring disadvantages in terms of speed. Because some updates also introduce new functions that overtax and slow down an older device – at least until Apple fixes the bug over time. The more sophisticated the operating system (i.e. the higher the version number), the more likely it is that there will be no more speed problems. And if the first few tips haven’t worked for you so far, an update is definitely worth a try.
Click on "Settings> General> Software update" and check if a new version of your iPadOS is available.
Tip 6: Clear cache
Apple’s Safari browser is among the apps where device performance drops are most noticeable. But a full cache also contributes to the misery. You can clean it up by clicking on "Settings> Safari> "Clear history and website data" click. A detailed tutorial is available here .
After this step, at least Safari’s user interface should be more responsive – though some web pages might take slightly longer to load now (while the cache fills up again). Remember that you should repeat this at regular intervals!
Tip 7: Turn off notifications
Playing notifications can also slow down an iOS or iPadOS device. Therefore, turn it off unless you need it urgently. Click on "Settings> Notifications" and choose for each app individually if it is allowed to send notifications or not.
Tip 8: Switch off location functions
Location services run in the background and not only drain the battery, but also affect performance. While it can be useful to let apps like Maps and Facebook access your location, you’ll notice a serious difference if you turn them off. Click "Settings> Privacy> Locating services" and set it to Off.
Tip 9: Turn off Spotlight
Spotlight is a convenient way to find everything on your iPad – but it also requires the service to catalog every single file, which sometimes slows things down. Turn off the service by clicking on "Siri& Search" click and set all search results to Off.
Tip 10: Reduce motion
If you’ve already turned everything else off and still want to tickle a little more power out of your iPad, you can still turn off some visual effects. Click on "Settings> General> Accessibility> Reduce Motion and set the switch to On.
Tip 11: Optimize RAM
On the one hand it is relatively easy with in-house means. To do this, press the power button on the unlocked device until the slider "Turn off" appears. You do not press any of the two options on the screen, but still press the home button or the volume up button (from iPad Pro 2018, iPad Air 4 and iPad Mini 5) to do this. If the screen flickers briefly, the RAM on the iPad has been redistributed. You notice this because the apps restart and are not in the state where you closed them.