I have an iPad mini 2 and can’t update the software from 12.5.1 to 14.4. What can I do?

A first generation iPad Air, iPad mini2 and mini3 can only be updated to iOS 12.5.1.

Apple ended major update support for these models of iPad in September 2019 - although they since continue to received “point” security updates. These devices cannot be updated to iPadOS 13 (or any later major versions of iPadOS) as the internal hardware does not meet the minimum technical requirements (CPU and RAM) for newer versions of iOS/iPadOS.

Some App developers have dropped support for iOS versions preceding iOS 13.x for technical reasons (often because APIs or software libraries upon which they rely have been updated in the new version of iPadOS, making their App incompatible with earlier versions). 

Whilst many App titles remain compatible with your iPad, if you want or need to access to Apps requiring the most recent versions of iOS, you’ll need to consider replacement of your iPad with a newer or current model that supports iPadOS14.

Sorry, I appreciate that this may not be what you were hoping to learn.

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

Since ending major update support for iOS12.x devices, Apple have periodically released point security updates for iOS12.5.x. These updates have addressed specific security issues that are applicable to this version of iOS.

No Operating System is ever completely secure. Reasonable assurance of security can only be presumed where a system receives active support with ongoing mitigation of major and emerging threats. It follows that an OS in mainstream support is more likely to receive effective and prompt mitigation than an older OS.

Older versions that do not receive updates have increasingly questionable security. New threats will target unsupported systems.

Whilst we have no idea how long Apple will continue to produce security updates for iOS12.x, it might be wise to consider devices using this version to be in their twilight period of support. Perhaps plan to update your device(s) sooner rather than later.

Where security and privacy are a consideration, unsupported supported versions might be reasonably considered to be unsafe.