my ipad cannot update to ios 10 or higher

Hi,

When did you get your iPad?

This probably means that your iPad has stopped receiving updates because of its age. This is normal and happens to every device at some point. As a result, you may not be able to download some apps. You can, however, attempt to download an app and it will tell you if there is an older version available.

Have an amazing day!

Your very old first generation iPad mini can only be updated to iOS 9.3.5 (WiFi Only models) or iOS 9.3.6 (WiFi & Cellular models).

Apple formally ended update support for iPad mini in September 2016. Your iPad mini cannot be updated to iOS 10 or later major versions of iOS, as the internal hardware does not meet the minimum technical requirements for new versions of iOS/iPadOS. This limitation cannot be bypassed - in addition to which, iPad mini is a 32-bit architecture device, whilst all recent versions of iOS/iPadOS are designed for 64-bit hardware platforms.

You may wish to consider that compatible Apps for your iPad are increasingly difficult to find - as third-party developers are increasingly dropping support for older versions of iOS preceding iOS11/12. As older versions of Apps are removed from the Apple App Store, you’ll not be able to (re)download or install them. As such, if you want or need to access most current Apps, requiring more recent versions of iOS, you’ll need to consider replacement of your iPad with a newer or current model.

Even the most basic current iPad7 will massively outperform you current iPad - and is compatible with the vast majority of current Apps.

I hope this information provides helpful clarity as to your available options - and the limitations of your current iPad mini.

Ios 9 is the last iOS your iPad can run. You can not put iOS 10 on your iPad.

Thanks