iPad Keep Shutting Down

Ah, the love affair with technology: it’s all fun and games until your iPad starts playing peek-a-boo with you by repeatedly shutting down. But worry not! I’ve scoured the corners of the internet, wrestled with a plethora of Apple devices, and compiled a list of the top 10 fixes that can help you bring your wayward iPad back to its senses. So let’s get started, shall we?

Table of Contents

1. Reboot Your iPad

Don’t underestimate the power of a good old reboot. It can solve a variety of issues, including the spontaneous shutdowns. Hold down the power button until the slider appears and swipe it to turn off. Give it a moment to catch its breath and then press the power button to switch it back on.

2. Check Your Battery Health

If your iPad is shutting down randomly, it might be singing a swan song for its battery. Head over to Settings > Battery > Battery Health and take a peek at the Maximum Capacity. If it’s less than 80%, it might be time for a battery replacement. Visit Apple Support to learn about battery replacement options.

3. Update iPadOS

Your iPad might be yearning for some fresh code. Keeping your device updated can significantly reduce the chance of unwelcome surprises. Visit Settings > General > Software Update. If an update is available, tap ‘Download and Install’.

4. Adjust Your Display & Brightness Settings

Our screens are often the guilty party when it comes to draining battery life. High brightness levels can put a strain on your iPad’s system, leading to unexpected shutdowns.

Go to Settings from your iPad’s home screen.
Tap on Display & Brightness.
Here, you can adjust the brightness slider to a more moderate level. I found 50-60% to be a nice middle ground, but this can depend on your environment and preference.
While you’re here, consider switching to a static wallpaper. Dynamic wallpapers can be resource hogs. Simply tap on Wallpaper in the settings menu, choose a new wallpaper, and opt for a ‘Stills’ option.

Adjust Your Display & Brightness Settings

5. Reset All Settings

This method is a bit like spring cleaning for your iPad. It doesn’t delete any personal data or apps, but it does revert all your system settings back to factory defaults.

Open Settings.
Tap on General.
Scroll down and tap on Reset.
Select Reset All Settings. You’ll be asked to input your passcode for confirmation.
Your iPad will restart with all settings reset.

6. Close Unused Apps

Apps left running in the background can suck the life out of your iPad’s battery and potentially cause shutdowns. Giving them a little break can help.

Quickly press the Home button twice or, if your iPad doesn’t have a home button, swipe up from the bottom of the screen and pause in the middle.
This will launch the App Switcher, showing all the apps currently open.
Swipe up on each app preview to close it.

7. Remove Unnecessary Widgets

Widgets are great for quick access to information, but they also constantly refresh in the background, draining resources.

From the home screen, swipe right to open the Today View where your widgets live.
Scroll to the bottom and tap Edit.
You’ll see a list of all your widgets. Tap the minus sign next to any you don’t need.
Tap Done to finish.

8. Free Up Some Space

A cluttered iPad can lead to performance issues. Freeing up space can often give your device a much-needed boost.

Go to Settings > General > iPad Storage.
Here, you’ll see a breakdown of what’s taking up space. You might find old apps you no longer use, large attachments in Mail, or photos and videos you can move to iCloud or another storage service.
Tap on the categories to explore options for cleaning them up.

9. Check For Rogue Apps

Some apps might be acting up, consuming more battery life than usual and causing system instability.

Visit Settings > Battery.
Under the Battery Usage By App section, you can see the percentage of battery used by each app.
If an app is using a suspiciously high amount, consider uninstalling it. You can always reinstall it from the App Store.

10. Reach Out To Apple Support

If you’ve tried all of the above and your iPad is still shutting down, it’s time to reach out to Apple Support. They have a team of experts who can help you further diagnose and solve the issue.

You can get in touch with them through the Apple Support website, the Apple Support app, or by visiting an Apple Store in person.
Be prepared to provide them with your iPad’s model, iOS version, and a detailed description of the issue and the steps you’ve taken to try and resolve it.