iPad mini performance issues (model md544a/b)

February 18, 2016 5:49 AM

My iPad mini is creaking but still useful. However, Safari crashes often (I've noticed it when browsing news sites like independent.co.uk in particular). Have you got any tips for improvements, things I need to check or change in settings or other management? Cheers!
posted by dash_slot- to Technology (8 answers total)

Best answer: With my older iOS devices I've seen some performance benefit (perceived or real, I don't know) from restoring from back up, and even greater benefit (almost certainly real) from restoring as a new device and starting fresh, if that is possible for you.
posted by Rock Steady at 5:58 AM on February 18, 2016 [1 favorite]

Have you updated your iOS? Some websites and apps don't like older versions. Also, whenever my phone starts randomly closing apps, a complete shutdown and restart tends to help.
posted by jenny76 at 5:58 AM on February 18, 2016

Another thing to consider is available storage space. Are you running out of room on your iPad mini?
posted by emelenjr at 6:21 AM on February 18, 2016

Definitely do a full restore. I've seen that method bring an original 2010 iPad back from the dead - and it made Safari run better than it had previously, too.
posted by Rissa at 6:48 AM on February 18, 2016

Seconding a restore, and unclogging a bit more free space on it if you can.

I find the Independent site is a bit crap and unstable on my iPad as well (and my Mac) - for an organisation now going web-only their site relaunch was rubbish, so that's probably not your iPad's fault. The Guardian site can be a bit flighty too on my iPad.
posted by dowcrag at 6:49 AM on February 18, 2016

Thirding a restore. I just rediscovered and restored as a new device my original ipad mini (ie pre-retina) and updated to iOS 9. It's definitely not speedy but it is functional, and much better than it was before I restored it.

I'm still on the fence about whether iOS 9 was a good idea or not (it still had 7!) but I wanted an app that required it.
posted by cgg at 7:42 AM on February 18, 2016

Response by poster: thanks all, am going through the process of restoring now.
posted by dash_slot- at 8:06 AM on February 20, 2016

Response by poster: Sadly no improvement in all the things I tried [including a webchat & voice chat with Apple Support]. Oh well, it's obvs gotten old...
posted by dash_slot- at 2:18 AM on April 25, 2016