Reset an older iPad but not install iPadOS 26

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Adam Pymble

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Nov 2, 2025, 5:28:54 PM (9 days ago) Nov 2
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Evening all

Wanting to factory reset an old ipad. It”s 5-6 yrs old and I fear the latest OS might make it less usable and we only want it for surfing and emails. 

Having done the reset it’s asking me to install the update with no option to decline ans proceed without doing so. 

Ang tips how to do so please?

Or perhaps reassurance that it’s ok to update and performance will be ok?

Thanks

Adam

Sam - MacAmbulance

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Nov 2, 2025, 5:35:36 PM (9 days ago) Nov 2
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There’s no easy choice to install anything other than the latest officially supported version of iPadOS on any iPad. You can’t manually install an older version as Apple stop signing older iPadOS downloads soon after releasing an update.

iPadOS 26.1 should be out next week, including a few visual options to decrease transparency, might improve performance on older devices
_

Regards
Sam Mullen

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in...@macambulance.com
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Stephen Watson

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Nov 3, 2025, 4:07:16 AM (8 days ago) Nov 3
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I installed 26.0 on this iPhone 13 mini and yes it’s slowed a little but I much prefer what I got in return and nearly all of the time I find the performance is just fine. I’ve heard 26.1 is supposed to be quicker. 

26.0.1 is definitely sluggish at some times on my M4 iPad Pro - more noticeably than on the iPhone 13! Maybe it’s just because I use it way more. 

Cheers,
Stephen

"The best things in life aren't things" - Unknown via Leo

On 2 Nov 2025, at 22:35, Sam - MacAmbulance <in...@macambulance.com> wrote:

There’s no easy choice to install anything other than the latest officially supported version of iPadOS on any iPad. You can’t manually install an older version as Apple stop signing older iPadOS downloads soon after releasing an update.

Phil Ward

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Nov 3, 2025, 4:20:22 AM (8 days ago) Nov 3
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I regularly use a 6th Gen iPad (mostly for games, and web browsing), which is somewhere between five and ten years old. I keep it updated to the latest OS and just occasionally it seems a little sluggish, but is still very useable. I’ve absolutely no motivation to change it on the grounds of performance so I reckon Adam something five or six years old will be absolutely fine for browsing and email on the latest OS.

Paul R Owen

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Nov 3, 2025, 4:30:38 AM (8 days ago) Nov 3
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I have an iPad Pro 11” from around 2018, it runs fine on latest iPadOS, I haven't noticed any significant drop in speed/performance.

Paul Owen

On 2 Nov 2025, at 22:28, Adam Pymble <adamp...@gmail.com> wrote:

Tony Crooks

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Nov 3, 2025, 5:35:46 AM (8 days ago) Nov 3
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As I understand it Apple suggests that after an upgrade to iOS/ipadOS 26, all versions there is a period of several days while the OS optimises to your usage. Probably something to do with AI. I know this to be the case for auto-correct which is doing some sort of on device AI based context analysis. 

So waiting for a while might improve things. Seems speedy on my M2 iPad Pro. 

Regards,

Tony
Sent from my iPhone

On 3 Nov 2025, at 09:30, 'Paul R Owen' via Sussex Mac User Group <sm...@googlegroups.com> wrote:

I have an iPad Pro 11” from around 2018, it runs fine on latest iPadOS, I haven't noticed any significant drop in speed/performance.

Jason Davies

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Nov 4, 2025, 5:30:18 AM (7 days ago) Nov 4
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I’m going to disagree as someone who nurses a 2017 iPad Pro in its old age. I’d get hold of iMazing and see if that gives you any options at this point. I now avoid doing major upgrades to iOS on ipads as they just get more and more unresponsive each time.

But I’m not sure how to cancel it. Maybe take it somewhere there’s no internet and see if it lets you proceed through error message screens? (iMazing does some interaction with OS updates so might have a shortcut through that).

Cheers,

J

Adam Pymble

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Nov 4, 2025, 5:35:19 AM (7 days ago) Nov 4
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Thanks, everyone.

All these replies most appreciated and very helpful indeed.

Thanks again. So grateful for SMUG and all SMUGGERS!

AP

Paul R Owen

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Nov 4, 2025, 5:37:23 AM (7 days ago) Nov 4
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You can switch off automatic updates in Settings>General>Software Update.

I’ve noticed in the past that if an update is pending the iPad/iPhone misbehaves (mainly by slowing down) until you do the update and then goes back to normal. 

Paul Owen

Jason P. Davies

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Nov 4, 2025, 5:52:59 AM (7 days ago) Nov 4
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Ta but I meant I’m not sure how to cancel the one Adam’s got, demanding it update;)


Thanks,

-Jason
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