My IPAD will not connect.
My iPad could not be activated because the activation server is temporarily unavailable. It will not connect to iTunes in order to activate it.
iPad 2, iOS 9
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We see regular reports of issues (re)activating 9 year old iPad2 devices.
You may have greater chance of success if you connect your iPad to a PC (with iTunes installed) or a Mac (with iTunes or Finder - as appropriate for the installed version of macOS). Once connected to your computer, your iPad will be detected - and you should be able to activate using iTunes.
If your iPad is not recognised by your computer when connected, this support page may be helpful with troubleshooting:
If your computer doesn't recognize your iPhone, iPad, or iPod - Apple Support
If attempting to use the standard activation method over WiFi, arestart of your WiFi Router and/or a change of DNS settings may be helpful.
To restart you home router, disconnect power - then wait at least 30 seconds before restarting. When you router has rebooted (which may take several minutes), force-restart your iPad:
- On an iPad with a Home button: Press and hold the top button and the Home button at the same time. When the Apple logo appears, release both buttons.
- On an iPad with Face ID: Press and quickly release the volume up button, press and quickly release the volume down button, then press and hold the top button. When the Apple logo appears, release the button.
For recommended DNS servers (configured at your home router and/or your iPad), you might choose one of the following Recursive DNS Providers (IPv4 and IPv6 addresses included below):
Quad9
9.9.9.9
149.112.112.112
2620:fe::fe
2620:fe::9
OpenDNS
208.67.222.222
208.67.220.220
2620:0:ccc::2
2620:0:ccd::2
Cloudflare+APNIC
1.1.1.1
1.0.0.1
2606:4700:4700::1111
2606:4700:4700::1001
Should it be necessary to escalate your issue to Apple Support, the quickest route to engaging with Apple Support will be via the Contact Support link at top-right of this page.
You also need to be aware that very old first generation iPad2 can only be updated to iOS 9.3.5 (WiFi Only models) or iOS 9.3.6 (WiFi & Cellular models).
Apple ended update support for iPad2 in September 2016. Your iPad cannot be updated to iOS 10 or later major versions of iOS as the internal hardware does not meet the minimum technical requirements for new versions of iOS/iPadOS. This limitation cannot be bypassed; iPad2 is a 32-bit architecture device, whilst all recent versions of iOS/iPadOS are designed for 64-bit hardware platforms. iPad2 is obsolete.
Compatible Apps for your iPad are increasingly difficult to find - as third-party developers are increasingly dropping support for 32-bit devices and iOS versions preceding iOS11/12/13. As older versions of Apps are removed from the Apple App Store, you’ll not be able to (re)download or install them - which may severely limit the usefulness and utility of your iPad. As such, if you want or need to access most current Apps, requiring more recent versions of iOS, you’ll need to consider replacement of your iPad with a newer or current model.
Of current models, even the entry-level iPad8 has specifications and capabilities that will massively outperform you current iPad - and is compatible with the vast majority of current Apps. Other models are more powerful still.
I hope this information provides helpful and succinct clarity as to your available options - and the fundamental limitations of your iPad2.
