I gave my old tablet one permanent job, and now I use it every day

I bought an iPad Pro in 2019, and it was the device I relied on most in college. The tablet housed my textbooks, stored my handwritten notes, and could edit video in a pinch. The edge-to-edge display, Face ID support, and USB-C port all combine to help the 2018 iPad Pro lineup age extremely well — this model doesn't look too different from the latest iPad Pro M5. The A12X Bionic chip inside is another story.

It's simply not powerful enough to keep up with the "Pro" workloads it once could. To that end, my iPad Pro can't be updated to iPadOS 27. It doesn't even run iPadOS 26 that well, with multi-window spaces in Stage Manager quickly becoming a laggy mess. Still, it's earned a second life in my home as a dashboard for my smart devices. With support for multiple ecosystems and plenty of processing power for smart home duties, it's more versatile than my dedicated smart displays.

The 2018 iPad Pro doesn't have to die

Mine is slowing down, and it deserves a second life

I've actually owned two 2018 iPad Pro models over the years. The one I used throughout college was the 12.9-inch model, but I eventually swapped it out for the compact 11-inch model with cellular. That happened a little over a year ago, when I paid $300 for a refurbished 11-inch iPad Pro and handed down the 12.9-inch model to my sister. It's served me well, and it didn't cost much, but it's slowing down.

I'm not alone. Many 2018 iPad Pro users on Reddit noticed their tablets struggling with animations and multitasking workflows following the iPadOS 26 update. While a few iPadOS settings can improve responsiveness, they can't fully compensate for the 2018 iPad Pro's aging A12X Bionic processor. After all, it's easy to forget these iPads are nearly eight years old, despite how modern they may look.

Following the performance hit that came with iPadOS 26, the writing was on the wall. Apple made it official this summer: iPadOS 26 is the last major iPadOS upgrade the 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models released in 2018 will ever receive. These tablets will remain usable for the foreseeable future, but they didn't receive iPadOS 27, effectively confirming the iPadOS 26 slowdown is permanent. The days of the 2018 models being powerhouse tablets are finally over.

It has been an incredible run for the 2018 iPad Pro, which may have aged better than any iPad ever released. But I'm not ready to give up on it completely. With Apple's rumored smart home display on the horizon, I'm ready to skip that product and transform my old iPad Pro into a more versatile smart home dashboard.

These apps and settings transform your iPad

There's a lot you can do to make your iPad a better dashboard

I've owned multiple smart home displays, most recently the Google Nest Hub and Nest Hub Max. They serve their purpose, and I'm quite happy with my Nest Hub Max following the Gemini for Home transition. However, dedicated smart home displays are limited to a single smart home ecosystem. I can't use the Nest Hub Max to control my Apple Home or Amazon Alexa accessories without some serious DIY-ing, like setting up Home Assistant.

The iPad's secret weapon as a smart home dashboard is full access to the App Store. You can use the Apple Home app to view and manage your HomeKit accessories, of course. You can also use the Google Home or Amazon Alexa apps natively on iPadOS, or download a niche accessory app. If there's a web client you need to use that isn't available on the App Store, you can add it as a progressive web app (PWA). Open the site in the Safari app, tap the Share button, and press Add to Home Screen.

Now, you'll be able to use any app you need to control your smart home using your iPad. If you're worried about distractions and unnecessary apps on your device, you can start fresh by performing a complete factory reset. Back up any data before beginning this process, as everything will be deleted. Navigate to Settings → General → Transfer or Reset iPad → Erase All Content and Settings on your iPad, and follow the on-screen prompts to finish wiping your device.

When it restarts, sign in to only the services you need to manage your smart home. Delete any pre-installed apps you won't use, and download the apps required for your smart home gadgets. In my case, I installed Google Home, TP-Link Tapo, Ikea Home, and GE Cync on my old iPad Pro.

If you only need one smart home app, consider setting up Guided Access. This setting locks your iPad into running a single app until you unlock it with a passcode. You can find it by navigating to Settings → Accessibility → Guided Access, and enable it by flipping the toggle on. To start a Guided Access session for any app, triple-click the top button on your iPad. To end a session, triple-click the top button on your iPad once more, and authenticate with your passcode, Face ID, or Touch ID.

An iPad beats a dedicated dashboard

Use whatever smart home ecosystem you like, or multiple

The iPad works best as a touch-first dashboard that you interact with on a stand or wall mount. That said, it can control your smart home with only your voice. If you're an Apple Home user, it's easy to use an iPad this way — just use Siri to control your gadgets. If you use a third-party ecosystem, you'll need to leverage Apple Shortcuts. Using the Gemini app, I can build shortcuts that control my Google Home accessories via Siri, turning my old iPad Pro into a true Nest Hub Max alternative.

Apple's first smart display is expected to be announced this month, and Bloomberg reports the device — called HomeView — won't have an App Store. While the Google Nest Hub and Amazon Echo smart displays have better third-party app support, they're hardly open platforms either. An old iPad will always beat a dedicated dashboard due to its robust app support, desktop-class browser, and Apple Shortcuts integration. I gave mine a second life as a smart home display, and I'm not even remotely tempted by Apple's upcoming dashboard.