What app for reading .pdf documents can I install on an Original iPad (iOS 5.1.1)?

CryssieJade on 17/02/2021 - 15:14
Last edited 17/02/2021 - 20:17

EDIT
I have jailbroken the iPad with Absinthe and installed AppSync Unified through Cydia. From there, I went to the mtmdev.org website and downloaded old .ipa files of IOS 4 and 5 apps, including iBooks! I've put these details down so if anyone else has the same issue, they can find the solution, because not one single solution worked for me, only this combination which was unclear and difficult to piece together, and involved multiple solutions and troubleshooting from many, many different sites!

Original post

I have been gifted an original iPad (IOS 5.1.1). It cannot be updated.

I don't need it for much, but I need to be able to read .pdf documents on it.

It has had a factory reset, so I cannot access previously downloaded apps on it.

I cannot download iBooks.

I have never previously downloaded apps on any device through the Apple store, so I cannot download 'previous purchases' at all.

What do you use to read your .pdf documents on such an old iPad?

I would only like to hear from those who have been successful, as internet searches have got me running around in circles, banging my head against brick walls. Thanks in advance :)

Electrical & Electronics

Comments

  • jv on 17/02/2021 - 15:16
    +1

    Adobe reader ?

  • cloudy on 17/02/2021 - 15:21
    +1

    PDF-notes free version.

    I don’t think you can get it anymore from apple store though. I downloaded it 7 years ago and still Works. But I doubt you can get the same version on App Store.

  • stirlo on 17/02/2021 - 15:21
    +1

    I thought iOS had built in PDF reader support? Have you tried opening one yet?

    Additional you can still download old versions of apps by opening the App Store and going to the "Purchased" tab where you should be able to download the last compatible version for your device.

    • CryssieJade on 17/02/2021 - 15:40

      I know of that trick but it doesn't work for me, because I've never 'purchased' (or downloaded) anything through the app store before. The previous owner factory reset the iPad before giving it to me

      • jjjaar on 17/02/2021 - 15:42

        Apple Books should just be searchable in the App Store rather than through purchased, but it may also only be a searchable item for those on the newer iOS.

        • CryssieJade on 17/02/2021 - 15:46
          +1

          Believe me, I've tried. There's nothing for me

          • jjjaar on 17/02/2021 - 15:54
            +1

            @CryssieJade: I assumed as much, in your OP it sounded like you had exhausted all options.

  • DemocracyManifest on 17/02/2021 - 15:23
    +1

    It’s very annoying how a ‘new’ account on a ‘old’ iPad can’t download the last version compatible for the device unless you have a account that had it on it…ridiculous. Same problem I have with a iPad 2, Apple practically crippled it, basically mostly only useful now for playing back videos via VLC

    • CryssieJade on 17/02/2021 - 15:43

      It's baffling!! I have been trying for two days to open a .pdf document. Would rather throw the iPad out the window…

      • sjj89 on 17/02/2021 - 15:55

        I would recycle it for sure. It's a $10 piece of tech at this point.

        • CryssieJade on 17/02/2021 - 16:25

          I was gifted it so my Mum could browse Facebook on a larger screen than her phone (she has advanced eye disease, and can't see too well). It's fine for that, but I also wanted to use it myself as an eBook reader when she's not using it. I can use Kindle cloud reader just fine, but cannot load .pdf documents (books) into the Kindle cloud reader. No iBooks. Sigh.

  • coxjon on 17/02/2021 - 15:45
    +2

    You might be able to jailbreak it and find the .ipa file somewhere online and install it via iTunes?

    • CryssieJade on 17/02/2021 - 15:46

      I have found the .ipa file (yay!)
      But have no idea how to jailbreak (boo)

      • coxjon on 17/02/2021 - 15:48
        +1

        There must be a ‘one click’ jailbreak tool for something that old!

        I haven’t looked into it for years sorry!

        • CryssieJade on 17/02/2021 - 15:53

          I'll keep looking for a tutorial, but in the meantime, I was convinced there would be an easier option sigh

        • CryssieJade on 17/02/2021 - 17:02
          +1

          I found a one-click jailbreak (Absinthe) and have jailbroken it, woohoo! Bring on basic functionality :)

        • CryssieJade on 17/02/2021 - 20:25

          @coxjon thank you! You were the catalyst for the above edit/solution (in my original post up top)

          • coxjon on 17/02/2021 - 23:13
            +1

            @CryssieJade: I’m happy to were able to eke a bit more life out of an ancient tablet :)

            Good work!

  • sjj89 on 17/02/2021 - 15:54

    You probably wont get anything for an 11 year old ipad.

    Plus iOS5 wouldn't be supported by any apps on the app store anymore.

  • YadaYadaYada on 17/02/2021 - 15:54
    +1

    I used to use Readdle Docs to read pdfs on my old ipod.

    Looks like it's been renamed
    https://apps.apple.com/au/app/documents-by-readdle/id3649018…

  • Loot N Plunder on 17/02/2021 - 15:57

    How sensitive is the information?

    Upload it to a pdf reader you read it online or convert it to something you can read html word text jpg?

  • holdenmg on 17/02/2021 - 16:08
    +1

    Won't Safari open *.pdf's if you Drag the File onto the Safari Icon?
    Safari should be native to the IOS, or I could be wrong… so long ago.

    Look for an Icon that looks like https://www.designsmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/safari…

    • CryssieJade on 17/02/2021 - 16:20

      I would love to know where the iPad is storing these files, I cannot seem to find them at all, let alone drag them into Safari lol

      But yes, Safari can open .pdf files that I haven't downloaded, I just don't know where the iPad stashes ones that I have downloaded externally (if it's downloading them at all even, it tends to freeze as soon as I hit the download button)

      • stirlo on 18/02/2021 - 09:23

        downloaded externally

        What do you mean by this? I think you're looking for functionality that early iPads and iPhones never had. It wasn't until 2017 that apple released a Files app that let you move data around and supported things like connecting a usb stick to transfer things. Once you download a file in safari if you don't copy it somewhere using the share button you can't easily get to it again.

        There's only 2 official ways to get a PDF onto an iPad that old. 1: Downloading from safari, once its downloaded you can press the share button to copy the file into another app which can store it long term, safari cannot. 2. Having an app installed that accepts external data and adding the files to that app using iTunes.

        According to wikipedia iBooks was released for iOS 4.3 so should have worked fine for you.

Login or Join to leave a comment
Login Join