iPad Air... Legacy?

[SPROINGY]

Hi All!
I have an iPad Air. It still works fine. I have my uses for it. Comes in handy sometimes.

But, it seems Apple has stopped supporting it now. No more iOS upgrades? If so, won’t the chances of it being hacked increase due to more vulnerabilities? These days, security online is more of an issue than before.

That said, what should I do? Get rid of my still *working just fine* iPad Air because of potential risks? It’s running iOS 12.4.6, which it says is up to date.

I don’t really have enough detail to decide. I haven’t seen any reviews. If you have and have a minute to paste in the link, or just tell me what you *know,* much appreciated!

 

[giradman]

Hi Sproingy - since 2011 (iPad 2), I've bought a new one every 3-4 years because of the concerns you raise, i.e. security issues when you're stuck on an old iOS, but other considerations are the need for newer hardware and updated software support - in the pic below (Source), your device is circled and is approaching 7 years of age (battery issues to consider also?) - security can be compromised; of course, 'old' iPads can be put to other uses that may avoid internet interaction (look HERE).

Bottom line is that no one can tell you how to continue w/ your current 'legacy' iPad - if the device still serves your needs and the battery is in decent shape w/o security issues, then you are likely good to go; OTOH, if security is a concern and you need better hardware and have to use the most updated software, then buying a newer iPad (new, used, refurbished, etc) is likely in your future. Dave

.

 

[twerppoet]

Apple sometimes releases security-only updates to the final versions of iOS for legacy devices. When, and why is something they don’t advertise, but it’s likely that any issues that Apple deems serious will be addressed for at least a year to two after a device stops getting updates.

Another options is to consider your legacy iPad as a specialized device that you limit your usage of, restricting the use and content to low risk activities.

That’s what I do, on the rare occasion I have an older iPad in service. Which I don’t at the moment. I never lack at least one iPad that can run the current version of iOS. It’s my primary platform, and I don’t want to do without a fully modern platform. I’d do the same for Windows, Mac, or even Linux if I was depending on those OS’s for my main computer.

 

[SPROINGY]

giradman, thanks for replying, and including that iPad OS support table. I’d never seen it. BTW, the battery’s still fine, never had a problem there.

twerppoet, I use my old iPad the same way you do. But as the’Net evolves/devolves daily, the definition of what a ‘low risk activity’ is changes. I have an article titled, ‘Think browsing a site (without logging in) is safe? Think again.’ I haven’t read it yet, might be sensationalistic, might have points worth considering. Common sense will tell me that. But up to now, I thought checking the online news was about as low risk as it gets!

As always, thank you for your reply!

 

[twerppoet]

No problem.

Given the title of the article, I’m already leaning to sensationalism, or at least popular paranoia. If the article were titled “Some News Sites Not Safe?”, or “Is Reading the News Secure?”, I’d have more confidence in the “News Site” that published the article.

That said, I get the majority of my news through Apple New and RSS Feeds. The rest are links in my Twitter feed. For the last, anyone tweeting or retweeting suspicious sites gets unfollowed. (or a link to Snopes in a reply)

 

[SPROINGY]

No problem.

Given the title of the article, I’m already leaning to sensationalism, or at least popular paranoia. If the article were titled “Some News Sites Not Safe?”, or “Is Reading the News Secure?”, I’d have more confidence in the “News Site” that published the article.

That said, I get the majority of my news through Apple New and RSS Feeds. The rest are links in my Twitter feed. For the last, anyone tweeting or retweeting suspicious sites gets unfollowed. (or a link to Snopes in a reply)

Sensationalist title, yeah. But I’ll still give it a glance. The content of the article may be interesting.

I like Apple News, I had it before, but I erased it from my iPad, and when I reinstalled it, I couldn’t access it. I got a message saying ‘Restrictions are in Place,’ and to remove them. Cryptic message for me. I haven’t a clue what restrictions are referenced, where they are, or how to remove them, and if I do, will removing them affect my iPad in other ways other than allowing access to Apple News. I can access all other news sources as usual.

 

[scifan57]

Is there anything in Settings under Restrictions that mentions the News app?

 

[SPROINGY]

scifan57, I looked in Settings for Restrictions, I didn’t find it, nor did the Settings search function find it. I’ll look again. Thanks!

As to my iPad Air, I think I’m done with it. Without support, the risks involved in using it will only increase, at least online. Why chance it? It’s a shame, it’s in fine working order to this day. I feel a bit disappointed with Apple for taking the decision to discontinue support for iPad Air!

 

[scifan57]

The iPad Air is 7 years old and was supported through 6 iOS versions. That’s a long time to maintain support in the tech world.

 

[SPROINGY]

The iPad Air is 7 years old and was supported through 6 iOS versions. That’s a long time to maintain support in the tech world.

Fair enough. I bought my iPad Air shortly before iPad Air 2 was released. Wish I’d known better!