When an iPad crashes, it could be specific apps to blame, or maybe a broader issue with the iPad hardware itself. You can try many fixes that are easy to complete on your own, all of them listed below.

Why Does My iPad Keep Crashing?

There are several possible reasons why it’s shutting down by itself:

Most iPad troubleshooting guides overlap to some degree, but follow these links if you have any of these more specific issues: How to Fix a Frozen iPad, What to Do When Your iPad Won’t Turn On, and How to Fix a Slow iPad.

  • A memory overload or hiccup.
  • Low or drained battery.
  • iPadOS is outdated and full of bugs.
  • A recent OS update is causing adverse effects.
  • Too little free storage space.
  • The iPad is jailbroken.
  • Failing RAM or other hardware.
  • The hardware is too outdated to run your apps.

How Do I Fix My iPad From Crashing?

Some of these solutions resolve particular problems but feel free to step through them to test each fix.

We’ve seen some users conflate “crash” with “auto-lock.” An iPad that appears to “crash” to the lock screen every so often does this keep your data safe and conserve battery. It’s a feature kicking in if you haven’t used the iPad for a couple of minutes. It’s a setting you can customize in iPadOS, and it’s most definitely not a bug in need of fixing. Nevertheless, you can delay or disable the auto sleep setting to prevent this.

  • Reboot your iPad to clear out anything in memory that might be causing the crashes. This step is the simplest and tends to fix problems where the cause is unclear.
  • If a normal reboot isn’t enough, try a hard restart.
  • Plug in the iPad to charge, and leave it there for a few hours. Do this to confirm you’re giving the battery plenty of time to juice up, thus isolating low battery as the source of the problem.
  • If your iPad is acting strange, like if it’s slow or apps are closing down unprompted, it could be related to low battery.
  • How to Fix Your iPad’s Battery Life
  • Check how much storage you’re using, delete unused apps, or temporarily remove apps taking up lots of space. Bouts of crashes could be due to insufficient storage space.
  • If this is your issue, learn how to save storage on your iPad to prevent this from happening again.
  • Install any available iPadOS updates. Do this even if the most recent update you installed is the likely cause of the crashes, especially if the update has been out for a long time but you haven’t yet applied it.
  • One reason you shouldn’t jailbreak your iPad is that it could make it more vulnerable to crashes. If you have a jailbroken iPad, upgrading should replace the OS with the official version from Apple and likely free it from whatever was causing it to shut down on its own. If this doesn’t remove the jailbreak, see Step 6.
  • It’s crucial to update your iPad’s operating system whenever possible. New updates often apply bug fixes that could fix the issue.
  • If specific apps keep crashing, enable automatic app updates to ensure they are always kept fresh with the latest updates from their respective developers.
  • Downgrade to a previous iPadOS version. If the version you’re on now is the latest available, but you still suspect it’s the primary cause of the crashes, return your iPad to the previous OS.
  • It might seem like a useless step to have right after we recommend upgrading the OS. However, testing the latest OS is best before assuming a previous version is better. As long as you’ve completed the last step and are caught up with all updates available from Apple if you think the software is still to blame, downgrade to the most recent version you know works fine on your iPad.
  • If completing this step stops your iPad from randomly crashing, stay on top of any news from Apple about an even newer update than the one in Step 4, and apply it when it’s available. Chances are, any bugs causing this problem won’t last through more than one update cycle.
  • Completely reset your iPad. Doing this erases everything stored on it, hopefully including whatever is causing it to crash. Although it’s an irreversible, drastic step, it’s the final step you can take to solve a software-related reason for an iPad that keeps shutting down by itself.
  • If you can’t follow those steps because it shuts down too soon, try resetting the iPad with iTunes.
  • If you chose to restore from a backup during the reset, and the issue remains, try this step again, but this time set it up as a new iPad as the backup could be corrupt.
  • Your iPad’s hardware might not meet the minimum requirements to run whatever it is you’re trying to do. Check the hardware requirements for the apps causing trouble—quit using them or consider upgrading to a newer iPad with better hardware components.
  • Another sign you might need a more modern iPad is if it’s too old to run the latest iPadOS version. An outdated OS, as described above, might be contributing to the crashes.
  • Make an Apple Genius Bar Appointment if none of the above steps have been helpful. At this stage in the troubleshooting process, the iPad suffers from a hardware problem that Apple can explore further.
  • What most likely needs to happen is replacing the iPad battery. It’s probably the case if it repeatedly dies sooner than the battery level would indicate.
  • How to Check Your iPad Warranty Status

Reboot your iPad to clear out anything in memory that might be causing the crashes. This step is the simplest and tends to fix problems where the cause is unclear.

If a normal reboot isn’t enough, try a hard restart.

Plug in the iPad to charge, and leave it there for a few hours. Do this to confirm you’re giving the battery plenty of time to juice up, thus isolating low battery as the source of the problem.

If your iPad is acting strange, like if it’s slow or apps are closing down unprompted, it could be related to low battery.

Check how much storage you’re using, delete unused apps, or temporarily remove apps taking up lots of space. Bouts of crashes could be due to insufficient storage space.

If this is your issue, learn how to save storage on your iPad to prevent this from happening again.

Install any available iPadOS updates. Do this even if the most recent update you installed is the likely cause of the crashes, especially if the update has been out for a long time but you haven’t yet applied it.

It’s crucial to update your iPad’s operating system whenever possible. New updates often apply bug fixes that could fix the issue.

One reason you shouldn’t jailbreak your iPad is that it could make it more vulnerable to crashes. If you have a jailbroken iPad, upgrading should replace the OS with the official version from Apple and likely free it from whatever was causing it to shut down on its own. If this doesn’t remove the jailbreak, see Step 6.

If specific apps keep crashing, enable automatic app updates to ensure they are always kept fresh with the latest updates from their respective developers.

Downgrade to a previous iPadOS version. If the version you’re on now is the latest available, but you still suspect it’s the primary cause of the crashes, return your iPad to the previous OS.

It might seem like a useless step to have right after we recommend upgrading the OS. However, testing the latest OS is best before assuming a previous version is better. As long as you’ve completed the last step and are caught up with all updates available from Apple if you think the software is still to blame, downgrade to the most recent version you know works fine on your iPad.

If completing this step stops your iPad from randomly crashing, stay on top of any news from Apple about an even newer update than the one in Step 4, and apply it when it’s available. Chances are, any bugs causing this problem won’t last through more than one update cycle.

Completely reset your iPad. Doing this erases everything stored on it, hopefully including whatever is causing it to crash. Although it’s an irreversible, drastic step, it’s the final step you can take to solve a software-related reason for an iPad that keeps shutting down by itself.

If you can’t follow those steps because it shuts down too soon, try resetting the iPad with iTunes.

If you chose to restore from a backup during the reset, and the issue remains, try this step again, but this time set it up as a new iPad as the backup could be corrupt.

Your iPad’s hardware might not meet the minimum requirements to run whatever it is you’re trying to do. Check the hardware requirements for the apps causing trouble—quit using them or consider upgrading to a newer iPad with better hardware components.

Another sign you might need a more modern iPad is if it’s too old to run the latest iPadOS version. An outdated OS, as described above, might be contributing to the crashes.

Make an Apple Genius Bar Appointment if none of the above steps have been helpful. At this stage in the troubleshooting process, the iPad suffers from a hardware problem that Apple can explore further.

What most likely needs to happen is replacing the iPad battery. It’s probably the case if it repeatedly dies sooner than the battery level would indicate.

  • Why does my iPad keep crashing on websites?
  • If websites in Safari keep crashing on your iPad, try clearing Safari history and website data. Tap Settings > Safari > Clear History and Website Data. You should also restart the iPad and see if this clears up the issue. If these options don’t work, try disabling the autofill feature: Tap Settings > Safari > Autofill and toggle off Use Contact Info. You can also try disabling Safari iCloud syncing: Tap Settings > [your name] > iCloud and move the Safari slider to off/white.
  • Why does Roblox keep crashing on my iPad?
  • Roblox may be crashing on your iPad due to technical issues, network issues, or OS issues. To troubleshoot Roblox crashing on your iPad, ensure your Roblox app and iOS version are up to date. Check that your internet connection is stable. Close other applications and check to ensure no applications are running in the background. Check your iPad storage; if you’re running low, the game won’t run well. You can also try restarting your iPad and removing and reinstalling the game.
  • Why does Facebook keep crashing on my iPad?
  • If Facebook keeps crashing on your iPad, a common reason is that your iPadOS needs to be updated. To make sure you have the latest iPadOS version, go to Settings > General > Software Update and see if an update is available. If it is, install it. You should also make sure you’re using the most up-to-date version of the Facebook app on your iPad.

If websites in Safari keep crashing on your iPad, try clearing Safari history and website data. Tap Settings > Safari > Clear History and Website Data. You should also restart the iPad and see if this clears up the issue. If these options don’t work, try disabling the autofill feature: Tap Settings > Safari > Autofill and toggle off Use Contact Info. You can also try disabling Safari iCloud syncing: Tap Settings > [your name] > iCloud and move the Safari slider to off/white.

Roblox may be crashing on your iPad due to technical issues, network issues, or OS issues. To troubleshoot Roblox crashing on your iPad, ensure your Roblox app and iOS version are up to date. Check that your internet connection is stable. Close other applications and check to ensure no applications are running in the background. Check your iPad storage; if you’re running low, the game won’t run well. You can also try restarting your iPad and removing and reinstalling the game.

If Facebook keeps crashing on your iPad, a common reason is that your iPadOS needs to be updated. To make sure you have the latest iPadOS version, go to Settings > General > Software Update and see if an update is available. If it is, install it. You should also make sure you’re using the most up-to-date version of the Facebook app on your iPad.

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