I have an iPad Air. How to I update to ios13 or higher? When I check for updates in settings it only goes to 12.5.3

iPod Touch?

This is an iPad support community section.

Any iOS devices that are stuck on iOS 12 are, at least, 6+ years old ( I have the iPod Touch 6th gen and that came out in June/July of 2015.

So, THAT device is almost 6-years old!

The 1st gen iPad Air and iPad Mini 2 and the2014 iPad Mini 3 are already close to being 7-8 years old this year!

No personal smart electronics devices get supported forever.

Apple supports their devices anywhere from 5-6 years.

You'll find Google ONLY supports their Android devices for anywhere from 2-4 years, IF lucky.

You need to run iOS 13/14/iPadOS 13/14 ( soon to be iOS/iPadOS 15 ), then, you will have to purchase a new or newer refurbished or used Apple device, plain and simple.

It is the way it is. Pandemic not withstanding.

Sorry, but this is the reality, also.

You can't. An unit running 12.5.3 isn't capable of 13 or above; for an iPad Air, it's a first generation model.

(198443)

Nope.

Your iPad Air model will not be able to upgrade/update beyond any version of iOS 12, currently at iOS 12.5.3.

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

Sorry.

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.

These iPad models will soon be 7 and 8-years old, in 2021.

Sorry.

There is one last thing you can try/attempt, if you need older versions of apps.

If you own another much newer iOS device that can run iOS/iPadOS 13 and later, you can install the most recent app/s onto that more recent iOS device.

Then go back to your older iPad, open the iOS App Store, go to the Purchases section of the store app, search for the app/s you wish to try and download to that older iPad and see if an older version of the app is allowed to be downloaded/installed to that older iPad.

These newer iOS/iPadOS devices must use your same Apple ID user account and password.

Failing that OR IF NO joy, then there is nothing more to be done.

It's 2021, now.

If you need/want an iPad with an up to date iPadOS with access to current, updated apps, then you really need to seriously consider a purchase of a new iPad model OR a much, MUCH “newer” and less expensive, refurbished or used iPad models, from better known, trusted sources, like other Apple product/device retailers/resellers, locally or online, on the Web/Internet, capable of running the latest iPadOS versions.

There are PLENTY of newer, older iPad models that can run the latest, current versions of iPadOS.

I am sorry that you had to learn all of this, but this does not change any of the facts regarding these very old iOS devices.

Sorry & Best of Luck to You!

With this pandemic, we are unable to stay safe, as all medical tech needs to be ios 13+. I certainly ain't going to spend more money on Apple product! Very disappointing as there is nothing wrong with my iPod Touch (6th Generation).