Native to the system, this is excellent for reading locally stored PDFs and EPUB files.
Not everything works here. Facebook and Instagram are dead on iOS 9. However, these three stalwarts still function surprisingly well.
requires at least iOS 13 and cannot be run on iOS 9.3.5 regardless of installation tricks. Additionally, while some apps install, they may experience lag or limited functionality as developers stop updating the legacy servers they rely on.
Despite the workarounds, the list of truly functional apps is shrinking due to the "Server-Side Sunset" effect. Many apps, particularly those relying on internet connectivity, have severed ties with older versions. Facebook, Messenger, and Netflix, for instance, often force updates or disable login capabilities for older app versions. However, "offline-first" applications remain highly functional. Productivity suites like Pages, Numbers, and Keynote (the iWork suite) work perfectly on iOS 9.3.5. Similarly, note-taking apps like Evernote or legacy versions of Microsoft Office are often usable for basic tasks, making these older iPads excellent digital typewriters or recipe books.
Before exploring the list, you must know how to bypass the App Store's version blocks. If you try to download a modern app directly onto an iOS 9.3.5 device for the first time, it will usually fail.