# Can my iPad be save? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 12, 2019, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-my-ipad-be-save/843346 "2019-11-12T19:25:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SanDiegoTim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@SanDiegoTim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanDiegoTim)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2019, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-my-ipad-be-save/843346/1 "2019-11-12T19:25:25Z")
It’s 5-6 years old and it’s speed has deteriorated. Very slow. Can it be revitalized or is it time to trash it? ---
**Author:** ![ASL\_v2.0](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asl_v2.0/32/3525_2.png) [@ASL\_v2.0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASL_v2.0)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2019, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-my-ipad-be-save/843346/2 "2019-11-12T19:33:12Z")
Slow in doing what? My first gen iPad crashes on a growing number of web pages, but it still plays music, it still has the ability to load google maps, and it still gets a cell signal. Which makes ideal as a cheap, disposable (if it comes to that) backup communication and navigation device while I’m hiking. So, saved to do what? Be a fully functional iPad? IDK. To be a useful tool in certain situations? Sure, why not? ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2019, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-my-ipad-be-save/843346/3 "2019-11-12T22:53:55Z")
Computers do not get slower. (Unless there’s a major hardware problem like a dying hard drive.) As noted, some things are more demanding and that is perceived as slower. But a 5-6 year old computer isn’t all that slow. My number 2 computer (which until a year ago was my number one computer) has an 8 year old processor and runs reasonably well. But overwhelmingly the major reason is crapware on the computer. People just keep loading and loading more questionable stuff on the computers and phones and they just slow to a crawl trying to run all that nonsense. I can go thru a computer and get rid of a bunch of stuff and it will magically speed up. But most people aren’t ex-CS profs. The best solution is to save your data and what not, wipe and reinstall your OS. Add just the absolutely needed programs. Be very careful about ones that “need” to run at start up. Very few do. ---
**Author:** ![Unpronounceable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9de0a6/32.png) [@Unpronounceable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unpronounceable)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2019, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-my-ipad-be-save/843346/4 "2019-11-12T23:33:11Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > Computers do not get slower. (Unless there’s a major hardware problem like a dying hard drive.) Battery-operated Apple products do - they’re throttled based on how much the battery has aged. There was a whole kerfuffle over that, not too long ago. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2019, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-my-ipad-be-save/843346/5 "2019-11-12T23:48:59Z")
Just had to buy a new one. It’s like going from 1919 to 2019. Doesn’t it have a lot to do with how big apps are these days? My old iPad would always crash, ran slow, and was just a paperweight that could barely handle YouTube. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2019, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-my-ipad-be-save/843346/6 "2019-11-13T00:50:14Z")
> [@ASL\_v2.0](#): > > Slow in doing what? My first gen iPad crashes on a growing number of web pages, but it still plays music, it still has the ability to load google maps, and it still gets a cell signal. Depending on which cellular standard your phone supports and which carrier you use, it might soon stop getting a cell signal. Verizon will be shutting down its 3G network at year end and I think AT&T will do so in a year or two. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2019, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-my-ipad-be-save/843346/7 "2019-11-14T00:19:00Z")
5-6 years is fairly old for a mobile device. Generally, they’re physically damaged by now and replaced, so congratulations on not breaking it. Without knowing the specific model, I can only guess that it’s no longer capable of receiving new iOS versions or updates beyond 12. Right now, we’re at 13.2.2. And, as noted above, processor speed throttling based on battery condition is taking place to yield a device that’s usable for longer time at a slower speed as opposed to full speed for not very long. It is possible to do a “nuke and pave” on an old iPad, but can take some trickery with iTunes on a PC to get and install an older version of iOS. Before doing that, you might try doing a restore to factory settings, the process for which is explained [here.](https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201252) ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2019, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-my-ipad-be-save/843346/8 "2019-11-14T09:57:01Z")
I have an iPad Mini that I think is around 10 years old. A couple of years ago it stopped accepting iOS updates, I think it’s on around iOS 9. It doesn’t run Real Racing 3 any more (I can open the app, but if I try to start a race it just crashes), but YouTube, Gmail, etc still work OK. It’s slow loading some internet pages. I have no mobile data with it, I use it on wifi only and per ftg’s advice, really try to limit the number of apps on it. So anyway, another data point for “it can still work, but on a fairly limited basis”.