You can make a difference in the Apple Support Community!

When you sign up with your Apple Account, you can provide valuable feedback to other community members by upvoting helpful replies and User Tips.

Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

iPad mini 3 software

Hi, I have iPad mini 3 with 12.5.1 software on , Will you have iOS 13 software update for it , I can’t use my banking app any more , They went to iOS 13 software and a lot of other apps are going higher to , I hope you mite have a answer, Thanks

Posted on Feb 7, 2021 10:20 PM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Feb 8, 2021 2:16 AM

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.


Banks and other financial institutions often require their customers to use, when accessing online services, a computer that is currently “in-support” by the OS developer - and for some computer systems, are similarly required to have an appropriate AntiVirus product installed. Whilst the latter does not apply to iOS/iPadOS devices, at this time your iPad continues to receive security patches. However, this is not the end of the story...


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.


Of current models, the entry-level iPad8 is considerably more powerful and capable than your existing iPad. If you prefer the small form-factor of iPad mini, the current iPad mini5 supports iPadOS14 - but lacks the capabilities of the cheaper iPad8.


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

2 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Feb 8, 2021 2:16 AM in response to Scott3003

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.


Banks and other financial institutions often require their customers to use, when accessing online services, a computer that is currently “in-support” by the OS developer - and for some computer systems, are similarly required to have an appropriate AntiVirus product installed. Whilst the latter does not apply to iOS/iPadOS devices, at this time your iPad continues to receive security patches. However, this is not the end of the story...


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.


Of current models, the entry-level iPad8 is considerably more powerful and capable than your existing iPad. If you prefer the small form-factor of iPad mini, the current iPad mini5 supports iPadOS14 - but lacks the capabilities of the cheaper iPad8.


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

Feb 7, 2021 10:35 PM in response to Scott3003

You are not addressing Apple here.

You have signed up into an Apple supplied product customer/user to user technical support community

We are all, largely, just Apple product customers/users, just like you.


Upgrading your iPad Mini 3 to iPadOS is never going to happen.


Sorry.


Your iPad Mini 3 cannot upgrade/update beyond any version of iOS 12, currently at iOS 12.5.1

The 2013 iPad Air 1, iPad Mini 2 and 2014 iPad Mini 3 cannot upgrade beyond any version of iOS 12.

These iPad models have overall internal hardware that is too old, too underpowered and incapable of running all of the new, advanced and internal hardware resource intensive features of iPadOS.


Sorry.


Forget any banking app and try accessing the banking Website through a Web browser, instead.


Try using a different third party Web browser instead of the iOS Safrai Web browser.

Sometimes, using a third party iOS Web browser will get by the banking Websites’ security issues when trying to login into your banking accounts using something other than the actual iOS Safari Web browser.


Do a search of the iOS App Store for Web browsers.

Many third party Web browsers still support iOS 11 or 12 and later.



Best of Luck to You!

iPad mini 3 software

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.