iPad Air Random crashes?

[ckuttner]

I have an iPad Air (64 Gb, wi-fi only) that is ancient, but has been working well. I use it for email, for reading our local newspaper's interface, one other app we use for reading. It randomly goes black maybe once a day, often when I'm just clicking into an app, necessitating a restart.
I'm cheap enough that I'd like to hold off buying a new one. Since there's nothing like Disk Utility (as far as I'm aware), I'm thinking I should just make sure I'm backed up to iCloud, then do a full reset and reload. Does that make sense? Other ideas?

 

[Isamilis]

Which ipad Air and which iPad's OS version? How much the storage free space? Have you tried to reset all settings? Probably it helps, if not you may want to try “erase all content and settings” but make sure you have latest backup beforehand.

 

[ckuttner]

Good questions, thank you. iPad Air 2, iOS 15.8.3, which appears to be the last it will accept. 64 GB, 20.92 Available.
I'm giving a try now with Reset All Settings. Due to the random nature of the crashes, I may not know for a day or two if that has helped.

 

[ckuttner]

Tentative report....I did the “erase all content and settings” thing and other than hassles such as needing to reset my desktop picture, the old (7 years??) girl seems to be staying on and working!

 

[FreakinEurekan]

Tentative report....I did the “erase all content and settings” thing and other than hassles such as needing to reset my desktop picture, the old (7 years??) girl seems to be staying on and working!

I'm guessing you did "Reset All Settings" and not "Erase all contents & settings"?

With EACS there's a lot more to do than resetting the wallpaper

 

[ckuttner]

Oops! Correct. Reset is less of a scorched-earth setting than is Erase.

 

[HDFan]

I should just make sure I'm backed up to iCloud,

I would also backup to your computer if you can in case there is a problem restoring the iCloud backup. Faster restore as well.