Is your iPad lagging in performance, or does it become unresponsive after a certain amount of time? Although slower performance is more likely to occur with older iPad models, even the most recent iPad might experience a slowdown. They may occasionally freeze up, or their response may be somewhat sluggish or even unresponsive.
A laggy iPad is typically caused by either low storage space or outdated software. If restarting your iPad doesn’t speed it up, try to free up as much of its storage as you can by deleting media or unused apps. It also helps to update its software and clear the cache in the browsers you use.
Nobody wants to deal with a slow device. Thankfully, the methods for speeding up an iPad are relatively simple. Let’s look at the common causes of a laggy iPad and how to address them.
Reasons Your iPad is Running Slow
Although your iPad can be as powerful as a PC/Laptop, it might occasionally run slowly. This typically occurs when your iPad’s storage is full or when there are issues with the installed applications.
When the software on your iPad is out of date and hasn’t been updated in a while, it may also perform slowly.
Unfinished background tasks
In general, iOS is capable of running multiple applications simultaneously on a single device. However, if the iPad’s internal storage capacity is exceeded, it will become unresponsive or freeze.
Limited available storage space
There are fewer available storage options despite the fact that many users have older model iPads (find out which iPad model you have in our guide) with capacities of 16 or 32 gigabytes. This is because users are shooting more images, recording more videos, and saving more data on their iPads. In this situation, the iPad will also get slower.
Full cache
When iOS is running or being updated, it will develop trash files or data, which are typically referred to as caches. Additionally, when an app on an iPad is used, waste data will also be generated.
There may be a large number of useless files on your system. When iOS is running or updating, it generates unnecessary files and data, which can cause your iPad to stop occasionally.
The applications may contain a substantial quantity of caches and temporary files. When running any application on an iPad, caches of unnecessary data are also formed. Particularly when using Safari on an iPad, a large number of cookies and caches will slow the device down.
How to Speed Up a Slow iPad
Any device is frustrating to handle while it’s performing slowly. When using your iPad becomes a dragged-out, unpleasant experience, try these troubleshooting tips to speed things up.
Don’t Close Your Apps
Though it might be tempting to attempt to reduce lag by closing apps, the official website for Apple states that doing this isn’t necessary.
Under most circumstances, force-closing apps won’t improve device performance. In fact, reopening an app after a forced shutdown takes longer because the app needs to reload all of its data.
For the same reason, closing apps also has no effect on preserving battery life, according to Apple.
Restart Your iPad
Like with any device, starting your troubleshooting process with a reboot is your best bet, and the iPad is no exception. When the iPad is restarted, all temporary memory is purged, and the operating system is reset.
To restart your iPad:
- Hold down either the Top or Side button until the slider appears.
- Drag the slider to turn off the device.
- Wait for two minutes, then tap the Top or Side icon again until the Apple logo displays. The iPad will then resume.
If your iPad lacks a Home button and uses Face ID or Touch ID, perform the steps below:
- Click and immediately release the volume control closest to the top of the device.
- Click and maintain the upper button.
- Upon seeing the Apple logo, release the top button.
If your iPad lacks a Home button, like on the iPad Pro 2020:
- Press and release the Volume Up button fast.
- Press and release the Volume Down button fast.
- Press and maintain the Power button until the device reboots.
Clear Your Storage Space
Re-organizing your iPad’s storage is a simple way to reduce sluggishness. Your iPad requires extra storage space to function properly. If it is overloaded with applications and tools, its performance may suffer. Open Settings— > General —> iPad Storage and examine the amount of available space on your iPad.
To begin, delete unused photos and videos. Then move on to eliminating any bloatware or apps that aren’t being used. Note that hiding an app does not free any storage capacity on an iPad.
How to Free Up Space on Your iPad
Here is a simple method for removing media from your iPad:
- Before you remove anything, ensure that you have a backup of the files that you want to keep.
- Access photos and videos stored on your iPad.
- Tap the Select button in the upper right corner.
- Choose the images you wish to erase.
- Tap the trash can icon in the top left corner.
- Tap “Delete.”
Similarly, you can save up space by removing unnecessary or unwanted applications. On the device storage page, search for unused applications. Tap them, then choose the Delete App. Any purchased app is always available for re-download from the App Store at no additional cost.
To erase an app from the home screen, press and hold the app you wish to remove. The apps will begin to wiggle, and a negative sign will emerge on each icon. Tap it, then confirm the deletion.
Additionally, you can erase previously downloaded songs to free up space on an iPad. To remove unwanted tracks, navigate to Settings > General Storage and iCloud > Manage Storage > Music. Tap the minus sign within the red circle.
Additionally, you may be able to save space on your iPad by removing emails.
How to Clear Your iPad’s Cache
The phrase “clear cache” is just another way of saying “empty the trash.” The more websites you visit, the more data is saved on your web browser’s folder. This increases the amount of RAM used, causing your iPad to perform slowly, especially if it becomes full.
Follow these instructions to clear the iPad’s cache for the Safari browser.
- Select Settings from the iPad’s home screen.
- From the list of the options menu, scroll down and search for Safari. Select the Safari tab.
- The clear History and Website Data tab can be found by scrolling down from the Safari category.
- A prompt message is displayed “Clearing will delete your browsing history, cookies, and other data. On devices associated with your iCloud account, all history will be deleted.”
- Tap Clear to continue.
Check Your Wi-Fi Connection
If restarting the iPad does not enhance its performance, then it is possible that the iPad itself is not the cause of the slowdown. Perhaps it is your Wi-Fi network. Run a test to see how fast your internet connection is and if the wireless network seems to be working properly.
It is possible that the modem or router you are using for the wireless connection is faulty, or the Wi-Fi connection speed or internet speed has decreased owing to technical issues.
It’s also possible that the issue with the signal strength and internet speed will only be temporary and can be easily fixed. There is a good potential that several other applications are running in the background on your iPad, using a great deal of data and resulting in a complete decrease in internet speed.
Even if you have the most recent iPad software installed, you may experience sluggish device and internet performance if you can’t understand.
Aside from these, there could be a number of hardware faults on your device that are causing the issue, such as the signal receiver.
Forget the Network and Join Again
Your iPad’s connection to the wireless network may have become a bit muddled. To address this issue, refer to the steps listed below:
- From the iPad’s home screen, select the “Settings” option.
- From the settings on the left sidebar, select “Wi-Fi” and press it.
- Click the I button that appears next to your Wi-Fi network’s name.
- Click “Forget this network,” then return to the list of accessible Wi-Fi networks, choose your Wi-Fi network, and input the password to re-join.
Check for Software Updates
In terms of overall speed, iOS updates can be unpredictable. Newer updates of Apple software provide the latest and more reliable code, as well as fixes for known issues. However, they also include the latest characteristics, which can make older iPads slower.
On the other hand, the most recent version of iOS (15), which is also the one with the highest speed gains promised, should be a safe bet provided that your iPad is compatible.
Regardless, suppose your iPad is unusably sluggish after attempting all the other solutions listed above. In that case, you should consider updating to the most recent version of iOS if you are not already using it. Tap Settings— > General –> Software Update to determine if a new iOS version is available.