Apple ended support for the first-generation iPad with the iOS 6.0 update in September 2012, leaving the first-generation iPad stuck at version 5.1.1 of the operating system. That doesn’t mean the original iPad is now a paperweight. There are still plenty of great uses for a first-generation iPad, including watching Netflix and playing casual games. The trick is to get apps that only support a later version of the operating system to run on the first-generation iPad.

Getting the app onto the iPad is only part of the problem. Most apps are built for a newer version of iOS, so the current version of the app won’t work on the original iPad running iOS 5.1.1. However, assuming there’s a version of the app that runs on the older operating system, you can get it onto your iPad.

First, try downloading the app from the App Store on your iPad. In theory, this process should work, and for apps that have an original iPad-compatible version available, the iPad should prompt you to download the older version. At this point, confirm that you want to download the old version. In practice, this process doesn’t always work, but there is a handy trick that can help you get past this App Store hurdle.

The trick here is to bypass the App Store to make the purchase on a computer and only use the App Store on the iPad to download the already purchased app. You do this by using iTunes on your PC or Mac to make the purchase. In 2017, Apple removed the App Store from iTunes, so you will need an older version of iTunes.