I was given an old iPad 2nd generation and I’m trying to figure out what I might actually be able to do with it. It’s in nearly new condition as the person that owned it did not understand how to use it and it just sat in its original box on a shelf. I’ve been able to get YouTube and Netflix onto it but when I load them, it just says network error or can’t connect to network. I figure it’s just too outdated to run the newer application versions. So what CAN the iPad 2 still do? The display is still great and it’s still very snappy. I believe it’s running iOS 9. Id hate to just put it on the shelf and forget it as it still seems to have a lot of life left in it. Are there possibly emulators that might run on such old hardware? Any ideas would be appreciated. I’m not someone that likes my tech to sit unused. I like to have a use for everything.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
iPad Given an iPad 2nd generation..
- Thread starter ccross13126
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
You can use it as a security cam (with motion detection) with the iPad app “Manything” from the app store. This app is made for old devices and can handle IOS 8 and never.
Now that’s something I would have never thought of. Cool idea if only to play around with 👍
Depending on the most current version of iOS that can be installed on it, you might be able to use it as a control panel for Apple HomeKit accessories.
I have an iPad mini 4 that maxes out at iOS 15 that I have mounted on the side of my fridge to be used exclusively to manage my HomeKit home (lights, smart door locks, temp/humidity sensors, etc.). However, AFIK, it will go the way of the dodo bird for this functionality once I move to the new HomeKit architecture.
I have an iPad mini 4 that maxes out at iOS 15 that I have mounted on the side of my fridge to be used exclusively to manage my HomeKit home (lights, smart door locks, temp/humidity sensors, etc.). However, AFIK, it will go the way of the dodo bird for this functionality once I move to the new HomeKit architecture.
iPad 2nd gen maxes out at iOS 9...
Yep. I believe 9.3.6. But I could be thinking of my iPhone 4. I’ll have to look when I get home from work. I do know it’s iOS 9 though.
Id love to be able to toss some retro emulators on it but I’m not even sure if that is possible. It’s funny though. I bought it for the person that gave it to me when it had just come out. Seems like it wasn’t that long ago at all. Now we are on what, gen 10 or 11?
There are a few video streaming applications, and a few games that still work on it. It is crazy slow though, so ours gets essentially no use and I have considered discarding it.
That’s odd. Mine is still quite snappy. Takes a second to load apps but once they are loaded they work just fine. I haven’t found a single streaming app that works on it anymore. I have Hulu, vudu, Netflix, YouTube and a handful of tv network apps (discovery, history etc.) but they all say network error when they load. And if I try to reinstall them, the store tells me they require a newer iOS.
9.3.5 completely destroyed the user experience on my iPad 3rd gen.. A5 and 1gb (512 mb on the 2nd gen) of ram was overwhelmed by iOS9. Was kinda usable but, compared to my 4th gen that ran iOS9 and iOS10 easily, it made me trade the 3rd gen in for an Air2. I still use the Air2 for light surfing on 14.8.1 to this day..
It makes for a great music player. Maybe not for streaming music (Spotify will probably run slowly), but if you load music onto it via iTunes, it'll be great.