iPad: The Missing Manual (2014)
Part 5. Appendixes
Appendix B. Troubleshooting & Maintenance
The iPad is a computer, and you know what that means: Things can go wrong. This particular computer, though, is not quite like a Mac or a PC. It runs a spin-off of the OS X operating system, but that doesn’t mean you can apply the same troubleshooting techniques.
Therefore, let this appendix be your guide when things go wrong.
First Rule: Install the Updates
There’s an old saying: “Never buy version 1.0 of anything.” In the iPad’s case, the saying could be: “Never buy version 8.0 of anything.”
The very first version (or major revision) of anything has bugs, glitches, and things the programmers didn’t have time to finish the way they would have liked. The iPad is no exception.
The beauty of the iPad, though, is that Apple can send it fixes, patches, and even new features through software updates. One day you’ll glance at your Home screen’s Settings icon, and—bam!—there’ll be a badge indicating that new iPad software is available.
So the first rule of trouble-free iPadding is to accept these updates when they’re offered. With each new software blob, Apple removes another few dozen tiny glitches.
And sure enough: Within the first few weeks of iOS 8’s existence, software updates 8.0.1 and 8.0.2 came down the pike. Then 8.1 came, a month later, offering Apple Pay, Continuity, and other features. And more will come.
Seven Ways to Reset the iPad
The iPad runs actual programs, and as actual programs do, they actually crash. Sometimes, the program you’re working in simply vanishes and you find yourself back at the Home screen. Just reopen the program and get on with your life.
If the program you’re in just doesn’t seem to be working right—it’s frozen or acting weird, for example—then one of these seven resetting techniques usually clears things right up.
NOTE
Proceed down this list in order! Start with the easy ones.
§ Exit the app. On an iPad, you’re never aware that you’re launching and exiting programs. They’re always just there, like TV channels, when you switch to them. There’s no Quit command. But if a program starts acting glitchy, you can make it quit.
To do that, double-press the Home button to bring up the app switcher. Find the “card” that represents your balky app, and then flick it upward to quit it. Try reopening it to see if the problem has gone away.
§ Force quit the app. If the iPad is so frozen that you can’t even bring up the app switcher, you’ll have to force quit the stuck app. Hold down the Sleep switch until the slide to power off message appears. Then hold down the Home button for 10 seconds, or until the frozen program quits. The next time you open the troublesome program from the Home screen, it should be back in business.
§ Turn the iPad off and on again. If it seems something more serious has gone wrong, then hold down the Sleep switch for a few seconds. When the screen says slide to power off, confirm by swiping. The iPad shuts off completely.
Turn it back on by pressing the Sleep switch for a second or two.
§ Force restart the iPad. If you haven’t been able to force quit the program, and you can’t shut the iPad off either, you might have to force a restart. To do that, hold down the Home button and the Sleep switch for 10 seconds. Keep holding, even if the screen goes black or you see the “power off” slider. Don’t release until you see the Apple logo appear, meaning that the iPad is restarting.
§ Reset the iPad’s settings. Relax. This procedure doesn’t erase any of your data—only the iPad’s settings. In Settings, tap General→Reset→Reset All Settings.
§ Erase the whole iPad. From the Home screen, tap Settings→General→Reset→Erase All Content and Settings. Now, this option zaps your stuff—all of it. Music, videos, email, settings, apps, all gone, and all overwritten with random 1’s and 0’s to make sure it’s completely unrecoverable. Clearly, you’re getting into last resorts here. Of course, you can then sync with your backup (iTunes or iCloud) to copy all that stuff back onto your iPad.
§ Restore the iPad. If none of these steps seem to solve the iPad’s glitchiness, it might be time for the nuclear option: erasing it completely, resetting both hardware and software back to a factory-fresh condition.
TIP
If you’re able to sync the iPad with iCloud or iTunes first, do it! That way, you’ll have a backup of all those intangible iPad data bits: text messages, Recents list, and so on. iTunes will put it all back onto the iPad the first time you sync after the restore.
If you backed up to iTunes: Connect the iPad to your computer, as described in Chapter 14. In iTunes, click the iPad icon and then, on the Summary tab, click Restore.
The first order of business: iTunes offers to make a backup of your iPad (all of its iPad settings, text messages, and so on) before proceeding. Accepting this invitation is an excellent idea. Click Back Up.
If you backed up to iCloud: You can restore your iPad this way only if your iPad is completely wiped empty. If it’s not, then manually erase it using iTunes first.
During the setup screens described on Setting Up a New iPad, tap Restore from iCloud Backup. You’re shown the three most recent backups; tap the one you want. The iPad goes right to work downloading your settings and account information. Then it restarts and begins to download your apps; if you’re in a hurry for one particular app, tap its icon to make iCloud prioritize it. At any time, you can check the restore process’s status in Settings→iCloud→Storage and Backup.
When that’s all over, you can get to work downloading your music (if you’re an iTunes Match subscriber).
iPad Doesn’t Turn On
Usually, the problem is that the battery’s dead. Just plugging it into the USB cord or USB charger doesn’t bring it to life immediately, either; a completely dead iPad doesn’t wake up until it’s been charging for about 10 minutes. It pops on automatically when it has enough juice to do so.
If you don’t think that’s the trouble, try the force-restarting trick described on Seven Ways to Reset the iPad. And if that doesn’t work, read on.
The Force Restore
If your iPad gets stuck starting up at the Apple logo, or it just stays black, then something more serious may have happened. Tablets, like the best of us, sometimes get confused.
The solution is the drastic, but effective, force restore process (known to techies as the Default Firmware Update mode).
Open iTunes on your computer. Connect the iPad with its white USB cable.
Now hold down the Sleep switch and Home button simultaneously for 10 seconds—then release only the Sleep switch.
Keep the Home button pressed until iTunes tells you that an iPad in Recovery mode has been detected; click OK. (If you see anything but blackness on your iPad’s screen—an Apple logo, for example—then the process didn’t work. If the problem has not, in fact, gone away, then you should start again.)
Now iTunes tells you again that you’re in Recovery mode and offers only one button: Restore iPad. Click that, and then confirm by clicking Restore & Update. The process of reinstalling the latest, fresh copy of iOS begins.
Once everything’s running fine, you can restore all your apps and settings from the latest backup as described at the end of Chapter 14.
Battery Life Is Terrible
If your battery seems to drain faster after you’ve installed iOS 8, maybe it’s because you’re using the iPad more, checking out the cool new features.
If that’s not the problem, or if you’re getting a “Not charging” message, consult the battery-saving tips on Battery Life Tips.
Out of Space
It happens all the time. You couldn’t imagine filling up 32, 64, or 128 gigabytes of storage, so you saved some money by buying an iPad with less. And now you can’t even take a video or a photo, because your iPad reports that it’s full. You’re frozen out until you have the time and expertise to delete some less important stuff.
The biggest space hogs on your iPad are video files, photo files, apps, and music files. Heck, deleting just one downloaded movie or TV show could solve your storage crunch instantly.
Fortunately, iOS makes it very easy to see what’s eating up your space—and to delete the fattest ones to make the most room with the least effort. The key is to visit Settings→General→Usage→Manage Storage.
The list here shows what’s using up your space, biggest first; by tapping the 
button, you can see the details and, in most cases, make some deletions on the spot.
Delete Photos and Recorded Videos
Unfortunately, this display shows how much space your Camera videos and photos take up, but it doesn’t let you delete them. To purge your photos, the quickest method is to hook up to iTunes, import the photos, and take advantage of the option to delete the freshly imported photos from the iPad (Syncing the iPad).
Turning off your Photo Stream can give you back an instant gigabyte, too (Print).
Delete “Other” Items
You know the colored graph of what’s on your iPad that shows up in iTunes (Syncing the iPad)? Often, the biggest item here is the mysterious Other category. What is that stuff? It’s caches (Internet data stored on the iPad to make repeated visits faster), backups, partial downloads, and data from iOS’s built-in apps—all your text messages and email, for example. Here’s how you clean them out:
§ Delete the Web browser cache. The iPad saves Web pages into its own memory, so that they’ll appear faster the next time you try to visit them. If you’ve had your iPad awhile, those cache files can really add up. Open Settings→Safari; tap Clear History and Website Data. You may get a speed boost as a side effect.
§ Delete text messages. In the Messages app, you can delete individual texts or entire conversations; because they frequently include photo, audio, or video files, you can reclaim a lot of space.
§ Delete email attachments. Files downloaded with your email take up a lot of space, too. The solution is to delete the email account (Settings→Mail, Contacts, Calendar→[account name]; scroll down and tap Delete Account)—and then add it again.
In the process, you’ll vaporize all the attachment files and message caches that you’ve ever downloaded and opened on your iPad. When you add the account back again, those files will still be online, ready to download—but only when you need them. (This trick works for most account types—just not for POP3 accounts.)
§ Delete voice memos, music files, and ebooks. Audio files and iBooks eat up a lot of space, too. Consider purging the recordings, books, and songs you can do without (from within the Voice Memos, iBooks, and Music apps). You can re-download them later from the App, iTunes, or iBooks stores—no charge—whenever you like.
Warranty and Repair
The iPad comes with a one-year warranty and 90 days of iPad tech support. If you buy an AppleCare+ contract ($100), you’re covered for a second year.
If, during the coverage period, anything goes wrong that’s not your fault, Apple will fix it free. In fact, AppleCare+ covers damage even if it is your fault, for $50 each time—even if you drop the iPad or get it wet. Maximum: twice.
You can either take the iPad to an Apple Store, which is often the fastest route, or call 800-APL-CARE (800-275-2273) to arrange shipping back to Apple. In general, you’ll get the fixed iPad back in 3 business days.
NOTE
Sync the iPad before it goes in for repair. The repair process generally erases the iPad completely—Apple very often simply hands you a new (or refurbished) iPad instead of your original. In fact, if you’re worried that someone at Apple might snoop around, you might want to back up and then erase the iPad first. (Use the Restore option—Software Updates.)
Out-of-Warranty Repairs
Once the year or two has gone by, or if you damage your iPad in a way that’s not covered by the warranty (backing your car over it comes to mind), Apple charges $200 to $380 to repair an iPad, depending on the model. (Apple usually just replaces it.)
The Battery Replacement Program
Why did Apple seal the battery inside the iPad, anyway? Everyone knows lithium-ion batteries don’t last forever. After 300 or 400 charges, the iPad battery begins to hold less charge (perhaps 80 percent of the original). After a certain point, the iPad will need a new battery. How come you can’t change it yourself?
Apple’s reply: A user-replaceable battery takes up a lot more space inside the iPad. It requires a plastic compartment that shields the guts of the iPad from you and your fingers; it requires a removable door; and it needs springs or clips to hold the battery in place.
In any case, you can’t change the battery yourself. If the iPad is out of warranty, you must send it to Apple (or take it to an Apple Store) for a $100 battery-replacement job. (As an eco-bonus, Apple properly disposes of the old batteries, which consumers might not do on their own.)
What to Do about a Cracked Screen
Keeping your iPad in a case may lower the chances of your dropping it or scratching it—but it can’t prevent bad luck. An good number of iPad screens meet an untimely end, even with cases on.
Apple will happily replace your iPad’s screen for $200 to $380, depending on the model. It’ll do it the same day if you take the iPad into an Apple Store, or you can mail it in and get a replacement in 3 to 5 days. (If you’ve bought the AppleCare+ extended-warranty service, a replacement is $50, as described above.)
There are plenty of other companies that can repair a cracked screen, though. The reps from iCracked.com, for example, send a technician to you and perform the fix on the spot.
And then there’s the do-it-yourself technique. You can buy a screen-replacement kit for about $80 online, complete with the special tools you need to open the iPad and do the job yourself. It’s a job that requires care, patience, and some dexterity (Google can help you find the step-by-steps), but it’s a good option if you’re technically savvy.
Where to Go from Here
At this point, the iPad is such a phenomenon that there’s no shortage of resources for getting more help, news, and tips. Here are a few examples:
§ Apple’s official iPad User Guide. Yes, there is an actual downloadable PDF user’s manual. http://support.apple.com/manuals/
§ Apple’s official iPad help Web site. Online tips, tricks, and tutorials; troubleshooting topics; downloadable PDF help documents; and, above all, an enormous, seething treasure trove of discussion boards. http://www.apple.com/support/ipad/
§ Apple’s service site. All the dates, prices, and expectations for getting your iPad repaired. Includes details on getting a temporary replacement unit. https://www.apple.com/support/ipad/repair/
§ iMore blog. News, tips, tricks, all in a blog format. www.imore.com/
§ iLounge. Another great blog-format site. www.iLounge.com/
§ MacRumors/iPad. Blog-format news; accessory blurbs; help discussions; iPad wallpaper. http://ipad.macrumors.com/
Index
A NOTE ON THE DIGITAL INDEX
A link in an index entry is displayed as the section title in which that entry appears. Because some sections have multiple index markers, it is not unusual for an entry to have several links to the same section. Clicking on any link will take you directly to the place in the text in which the marker appears.
Symbols
1xRTT networks, The Cellular iPad
30-pin connector, The Lightning Connector
3G networks, Screen Icons, The Cellular iPad
4G networks, Screen Icons
“Hey, Siri”, How to Use “Hey, Siri”–What to Say to Siri, What to Say to Siri, What to Say to Siri, Siri Settings
turning off, Siri Settings