Newsroom Update
Apple is introducing a new Apple Watch Pride Edition Braided Solo Loop, matching watch face, and dynamic iOS and iPadOS wallpapers as a way to champion global movements to protect and advance equality for LGBTQ+ communities. Learn more >
Apple is introducing a new Apple Watch Pride Edition Braided Solo Loop, matching watch face, and dynamic iOS and iPadOS wallpapers as a way to champion global movements to protect and advance equality for LGBTQ+ communities. Learn more >
Announcement
Introducing the iPad Pro with Apple M4 chip, the redesigned iPad Air in two sizes, and the all‑new Apple Pencil Pro. Watch the event >
Introducing the iPad Pro with Apple M4 chip, the redesigned iPad Air in two sizes, and the all‑new Apple Pencil Pro. Watch the event >
is my iPad just to old to update anything, i bought it in 2011 and apps have started saying my iPad won't support their systems and when i try to update my iPad it just says up to date "iso9.3.5" i have tried to sync it to my iMac but it will only down load photos, is it just to old and out of date now to keep up with everything ?
Yup.
Your iPad is too old.
A 2011, 2nd gen iPad cannot be upgraded beyond iOS 9.3.5/9.3.6 for WiFi AND cellular data models.
A 2nd gen iPad is an over 9-year old device, now ( introduced April 2011 )!
These older iPad models are too old, now, too underpowered and completely incompatible with any of the current and future versions of iOS/iPadOS.
It is what it is, today, in the year 2020!
Apple supports new iPad models for up to 5-6 years with third party app developers supporting these iPads for another, additional 2-3 years after!
So, that is a total of between 7-9 years of iPad/iOS support!
ALL older iPad models, like the iPad 2, 3, 4 and 1st gen iPad Mini have, finally, reached this support limit!
If you need an iPad that can run the latest and greatest versions of iOS, as well as, the most current apps available, then, you need to purchase a new iPad from Apple or a discounted, refurbished iPad from Apple’s Refurbished & Clearance section of Apple’s Website or a new or refurbished iPad from an Apple authorised, third party retail or online reseller OR other trusted sources for new or used Apple products.
These old iPad 2, 3, 4 and 1st gen iPad Mini models are, virtually, 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 support 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 cycles.
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.
So, this is REALLY NOW the time to seriously consider a new or discounted, refurbished iPad from Apple or other Apple authorised resellers.
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.
As an example and compared to that over 9-years old iPad 2nd generation model,
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 and 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.
In addition, if you search online and look at various, reputable online Apple device resellers, you can usually find this 2019, 7th gen iPad at various discounts, depending on storage size and whether it is a WiFi ONLY model or a WiFi/cellular data model.
This is the harsh reality for these 8 and 9-year old, OR OLDER, iOS devices, now!
Sorry & Best of Luck to You!
Yup.
Your iPad is too old.
A 2011, 2nd gen iPad cannot be upgraded beyond iOS 9.3.5/9.3.6 for WiFi AND cellular data models.
A 2nd gen iPad is an over 9-year old device, now ( introduced April 2011 )!
These older iPad models are too old, now, too underpowered and completely incompatible with any of the current and future versions of iOS/iPadOS.
It is what it is, today, in the year 2020!
Apple supports new iPad models for up to 5-6 years with third party app developers supporting these iPads for another, additional 2-3 years after!
So, that is a total of between 7-9 years of iPad/iOS support!
ALL older iPad models, like the iPad 2, 3, 4 and 1st gen iPad Mini have, finally, reached this support limit!
If you need an iPad that can run the latest and greatest versions of iOS, as well as, the most current apps available, then, you need to purchase a new iPad from Apple or a discounted, refurbished iPad from Apple’s Refurbished & Clearance section of Apple’s Website or a new or refurbished iPad from an Apple authorised, third party retail or online reseller OR other trusted sources for new or used Apple products.
These old iPad 2, 3, 4 and 1st gen iPad Mini models are, virtually, 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 support 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 cycles.
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.
So, this is REALLY NOW the time to seriously consider a new or discounted, refurbished iPad from Apple or other Apple authorised resellers.
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.
As an example and compared to that over 9-years old iPad 2nd generation model,
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 and 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.
In addition, if you search online and look at various, reputable online Apple device resellers, you can usually find this 2019, 7th gen iPad at various discounts, depending on storage size and whether it is a WiFi ONLY model or a WiFi/cellular data model.
This is the harsh reality for these 8 and 9-year old, OR OLDER, iOS devices, now!
Sorry & Best of Luck to You!
If your iPad cannot be updated beyond iOS 9.3.5, then you have WiFi Only model of either an iPad2, iPad3 or first generation iPad mini.
These iPads can only be updated to iOS 9.3.5 (WiFi Only models) or iOS 9.3.6 (WiFi & Cellular models).
Apple ended update support for these iPads in September 2016. They 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, these devices have a 32-bit architecture, whilst all recent versions of iOS/iPadOS are designed for 64-bit hardware platforms. These devices are effectively obsolete.
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 iOS11/12/13. 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 basic iPad7 from the current range of iPad models will massively outperform you current iPad - and is compatible with iPadOS 13 (13.5.1 is current) and the vast majority of currently available Apps. Early details of iPadOS 14 will shortly be announced at the imminent Apple WWDC event - and will likely be released sometime around September of this year.
I hope this information provides helpful clarity as to your available options - and the limitations of your current iPad.
Yes, it’s just too old. The hardware in your device is no longer powerful enough to run the newest version of iPadOS
is my iPad just too old ?
