my ipad says my software is up to date but it won't let me download certain apps, what can I do?

Sorry,

This is not going to be possible.

A nearly 8-year old, 2012 iPad Mini 1st generation cannot be upgraded/updated beyond iOS 9.3.5/9.3.6 for cellular data models.

The Amazon Kindle app for iPad requires iOS 12 or greater, now.

There are virtually no more third party apps compatible with 8 and 9-year old iOS devices running iOS 9 or 10 and earlier.

If I were you, I would return this old iPad and attempt to get your money back and purchase a much newer iPad model.

Any older 2013 iPad Air, 1st generation, 2013 iPad Mini 2 and 2014 iPad Mini 3 max out at iOS 12.4.7, currently.

Older 2014 iPad Air 2nd generation or 2015 iPad Mini 4 can run the latest iPadOS 13.5.

Sorry & Best of Luck to You!

The model that you have is only able to be updated to iOS 9.3.5. Unfortunately the hardware that runs that iPad is not capable of operating above that. It is telling you that it is up to date because that is the highest it is going to be able to run. If the app is wanting a newer version it is not going to work.

-IF- you still have a system with iTunes 11 on it, (or one capable of running it) plug the device in and it should load the AppStore through iTunes.

You then use the search to find the Kindle app and it should then offer you the ability to download the last available version that worked with your iOS device. Alas, that legitimately useful option went away after iTunes 12. :(

For all of it's forward-seeming promotional materials, Apple is doing a bang-up job of creating lots and lots of e-waste out of perfectly good hardware by simply not offering - even unsupported - the easy access to downloads they used to.

Keep you on that buying treadmill.

But hey, that is why the stock is over 300 bucks a share now.

Not all app developers leave their older versions available in the App Store, so more often than not, your solution will not work. Most developers pull their older releases from the App Store so they are no longer available. Apple has nothing to do with that since the software is not theirs to keep in the store.

Hi Deborah!

Nice to see you back here in the Apple Support Communities.

Been a long time since I last saw your name here and your participation in the community!

As unfortunate as this situation is, these old iPad 2, 3, 4 and 1st gen iPad Mini models are nearing 8 and 9-years old, now.

The amount of older, compatible, available apps for these old iPad models has dwindled significantly since the beginning of 2020!

Getting older versions of apps for these old iPad models, initially from Apple’s iOS App Store is getting very difficult and very problematic and this issue is getting, painfully, much worse, now, in 2020!

As of the beginning of 2019, many, MANY third party app developers are all more quickly and completely permanently dropping older app support for all old 7, 8 and 9-year iPads that are running 2-3 year old and earlier iOS versions ( iOS 10 and earlier ).

Third party app developers are removing all of their older, legacy versions of their apps from Apple's App Store servers, now.

Third party app developers no longer want to continue support for these 8 and 9-year old or older iOS devices, any longer!

Older versions of apps are, soon, going to be gone for good, now!

These old iPads are now reaching their complete end of life and support.

So finding older versions apps for older iPads, while still possible, currently, will be a very tough challenge, now, in 2020.

Old iPads that can no longer be upgraded/updated will have NO MORE APPS AVAILABLE for initial download, at all, soon, from the Apple iOS App Store, for such old iOS devices in the very near future.

Older versions of apps for these older iPads will be completely gone, at some point, in the very foreseeable future.

Old 8 and 9-year old iPads will be pretty much obsolete by the end of the 2020 year!

Again, it is what it is, today, in the year 2020!

You will never get any more older versions of popular apps for these old iPads, any longer.

The apps that these old iPads already have on them, and still work, will be the apps these iPads will be stuck with!

Basically, these old iPad models are just good for FaceTime and somewhat limited Web browsing via some other, more up to date third party Web browsers and NOT using that nearly 4-year old iOS Safari Web browser.

A lot has happened with iPad and iOS in 7-9 years and in the past 2 to 3-1/2 years since iOS 9 and 10.

I have been telling users of very old iPad models that come here, for the past 3 years, or so, that this moment when these older iPad would be obsolete will be coming, but many that come to the ASC with questions about their older iPad models, chose to ignore my posted warnings.

Now, that time has come and this is the end for all 8, 9 and 10-year old iPad models.

The cheapest, baseline 2019, 10.2 inch screen 7th gen Apple iPads have a 1/2 inch larger retina screen, it is overall lighter, in weight, newer, more powerful, approx. 2-1/2 times faster, 2.3 Ghz, A10 Fusion processor ( CPU ), AT LEAST 3-4 times the internal RAM, with the 2019, 7th gen iPad having 3 GBs of internal RAM, iPadOS 13 support, with much better and improved multitasking features and much fuller support for externally connected data drives, Apple Pencil and Apple Smart keyboard cover support and have better audio speakers and better/improved built-in cameras.

Unfortunately, the current outcome for these old mobile is the harsh reality for these 8 and 9-year old, OR OLDER, iOS devices, now!

Glad to see you back here!

Michel