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A tech tester for nearly 20 years, Jamie is the Which? expert on smartphones, tablets, and wearables, delivering trusted buying advice.
Tablets should make life easier, not harder. Yet a single hardware issue such as an iPad screen repair can turn a simple device into a complex headache. Instead of guessing at repairs, we look at the data to find the common iPad problems and Android tablet issues you've experienced.
We asked thousands of iPad and Android tablet owners* about the problems they face to find the fixes that really work. From software bugs to terminal hardware failures, our Android tablet and iPad troubleshooting guide covers it all — including the best replacements to buy if your current tablet is ready for the recycling bin.
If yours can't be fixed, check our best tablet deals to discover genuine deals on models that do well in our tests
*(Survey: 15,644 Which? members and members of the public conducted in March 2025. Faults listed are the percentage of faults per faulty products reported in the survey.)
Batteries are the cause of most tablet issues – almost 20% of all the faults recorded in our survey were down to the battery getting significantly worse in a short period of time.
Typically, this is a sign of a hardware issue with the battery itself, rather than just a slow degradation of the battery over time - Apple says its latest iPads should last over 1,000 charge cycles with 80% battery health, and Samsung quotes 1,200 cycles.
It might be time to replace your iPad or Android tablet battery. But there are some setting adjustments you can try first.
First, check the condition of the battery itself. If the maximum capacity has dropped below 80% then it's probably time for replacement. Modern tablets should let you know when you pass that threshold, but here's how to check your iPad or Samsung, Google, Amazon or Microsoft tablet, ahead of time.
| Apple iPad Pro M5 and M4 / Air M4 and M2 / 11th Gen | Go to Settings > Battery > Battery Health. If 'Maximum Capacity' is below 80%, the battery is considered degraded. |
| Apple iPad 10th Gen and older | Unfortunately, standard iPads (like the 10th Gen) still hide this data. You can try checking Settings > Privacy & Security > Analytics & Improvements, or connect your iPad to a computer running a checking tool like coconutBattery or iMazing to see the true health. |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab S12+ and S12+ Ultra (One UI 6.1.1+) | Samsung has added battery tracking to its newest devices. Go to Settings > Battery > Battery information. You'll see the battery health percentage, total cycle count, and the date of manufacture. |
| Samsung Galaxy (Older models, including One UI 6+) | You won't find this in the main settings. Open the Samsung Members app, tap Support, then Phone Diagnostics, and select Battery Status. It will tell you if the battery is 'Normal' or 'Weak'. |
| Android 16 & 17 Tablets | Go to Settings > About tablet > Battery to show the cycle count and battery manufacture date. |
| Google Pixel Tablet (And older tablets using Android 15): | Go to Settings > Battery > Battery Health to see if your battery status is listed as 'Normal' or needs attention. |
| Amazon Fire tablet | Fire OS doesn't have a built-in health checker. If your battery drains rapidly even when the tablet is asleep, it’s likely a hardware fault - but you can try third-party apps like AccuBattery to get an estimate. |
| Microsoft tablet | Type cmd into the Start menu to bring up the command prompt. Type powercfg /batteryreport and hit enter. Open the HTML file saved to your user folder to see your 'Full Charge Capacity' vs 'Design Capacity'. |
If your battery gets a clean bill of health, try these tips to get more life out of it.
It can be very frustrating if your tablet is slow to open apps or switch between them. Sluggish speeds are often a symptom of storage saturation. Modern tablets use 'virtual Ram' (using storage as memory) - so if your storage is full, your tablet will significantly slow down.
Apps collect data to make them load faster in future, but ironically this can slow down your tablet over time. Here's how to clear your cache.
| Android on Samsung | Android has removed the button to clear all cache at once. You must now go to Settings > Apps, select a specific storage-hungry app (like TikTok or Chrome), tap Storage, and select Clear Cache. |
| Apple iPads | There is no 'Clear Cache' button. The best method is to Delete (not Offload) heavy apps (Settings > General > iPad Storage). Beware, it will delete all your data, unlike Offloading, which keeps your data and settings but all the caches too. |
| Amazon Fire tablets | Go to Settings > Apps & Notifications > Manage All Applications. Select the app and tap Storage > Clear Cache. |
| Microsoft tablets | Use Disk Cleanup or Storage Sense in System Settings to remove temporary files automatically. |
Check how much storage WhatsApp is taking up. It can be a surprising amount, particularly if one of your contacts enjoys sharing lots of videos.
Open WhatsApp, select You and scroll down. Select Storage and data > Free up storage. You can now see how much space it's taking up.
If it's too much, select Review and delete items to see content that's larger than 5MB. You can delete any you don't want by tapping the top-right Select button, tapping any videos you want to remove, then click the Bin icon.
Generally, a newer tablet shouldn't run slowly unless you're using some software that it really isn't capable of running. For example, if you've bought a low-end tablet and start editing some uncompressed 4K footage, then it's going to struggle.
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Sometimes an app needs an update. Sometimes it's updated, but this has created an issue with your tablet's operating system. Sometimes a new version of your tablet's operating system can also cause problems.
These are things you can try to get an app working again.
Considering a new tablet? Take a look at our expert pick of the best tablets.
A tablet locking up is a sure sign it's overwhelmed. It needs a breather, usually in the form of a restart. Here's how to do it if your tablet is unresponsive.
| Apple iPad without a Home Button | Press and quickly release Volume Up. Press and quickly release Volume Down. Then press and HOLD the Top Button (Power) until you see the Apple logo. This can take 20+ seconds — don't let go when the 'slide to power off' screen appears. |
| Samsung Galaxy | Press and hold Power and Volume Down simultaneously for 7-10 seconds until the screen goes black and the Samsung logo appears. |
| Amazon Fire tablet | These are resilient. Press and hold the Power button for a full 40 seconds. Ignore any screen prompts; just keep holding until it reboots. |
| Windows tablet | Hold the Power button for 10 seconds to force a hard shutdown, then wait 10 seconds before turning it back on. |
Schedule a weekly restart to prevent some of these problems building up in the future.
If you've downloaded an app that's causing your tablet problems, stop using it, delete it and look for an alternative.
Most of the advice for speeding up a slow tablet applies here, too. So reduce the number of widgets on the home screen, shut down apps you aren't using – particularly if they have background processes such as location services.
Also, free up some space on your hard drive if it's close to capacity. If internal storage is approaching 85%, the tablet can slow to a crawl. Consider a micro-SD card if your tablet has a slot for one and move some files onto that, or move files into the cloud.
See how to choose the best cloud storage service.
If your battery health is good, but the charge is still vanishing, try this.
Warning: Tablet batteries are often glued in and difficult to replace. While you can do it yourself, a professional repair can be safer to avoid cracking the screen. Find a local repair shop you can trust at Which? Trusted Traders.
Jamie Darlow, Which? phones and tablet expert: 'We’ve lab tested more than 50 new tablets you can buy right now, rating everything from screen brightness to processing power. You can use our expert tablet reviews to help you find the right model.
'Otherwise here are my top three picks for iOS and Android users, focusing on what’s most important for the majority of users. I’ve also included my go-to entry level tablet choice if you’re on a limited budget.'
This uses the A16 Bionic chip, so while it isn't the absolute newest processor Apple makes, it is still powerful enough for heavy multitasking. It misses out on Apple Intelligence features and a high refresh rate screen, but remains the default choice for anyone already using an iPhone. It punches well above its weight.
Read our full Apple iPad (2025) review to see if the ecosystem benefits are worth the price. Check below to see which retailers have the best prices:
You can save more money by choosing a refurbished model. Use our guide to buying a refurbished iPad to see where to buy and what to look out for.
The 'FE' stands for Fan Edition, which is Samsung's way of offering mid-range specs at a friendlier price point. It is one of the few tablets to offer water resistance (IP68). Unlike Apple, Samsung includes the S Pen stylus in the box, so you don't have to pay extra to start drawing.
Check our unbiased, expert Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE review to see whether it's right for you.
You can also see how it compares to other Samsung tablets - best Samsung Galaxy tablets.
Lenovo has focused on sound with this budget model, packing in eight speakers to differentiate it from the competition. However, its large battery and fast charging specs are what caught our eye. It isn't designed to be a productivity workhorse, but with a large 2K screen, it positions itself as a dedicated media player.
See our Lenovo Tab Plus review to find out if the eight speakers really make a difference. Take a look at the tablet's latest offers below:
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