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Ipad Update

My IPad is using IOS 12.5.5. I can't update to IOS 13 or higher?

Posted on Jun 18, 2022 7:00 AM

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Question marked as Best reply

Posted on Jun 20, 2022 6:43 AM

killerjohan wrote:

My IPad is using IOS 12.5.5. I can't update to IOS 13 or higher?


The first generation iPad Air (2013), iPad mini2 (2013) and mini3 (2014) can only be updated to iOS 12.5.5.


Apple ended major update support for these models of iPad in September 2019 - although they since continued to receive “point” security updates until late last year. 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 iPadOS15.


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


I hope this information provides clarity as to your available options - and the fundamental limitations of older models of iPad.

5 replies
Question marked as Best reply

Jun 20, 2022 6:43 AM in response to killerjohan

killerjohan wrote:

My IPad is using IOS 12.5.5. I can't update to IOS 13 or higher?


The first generation iPad Air (2013), iPad mini2 (2013) and mini3 (2014) can only be updated to iOS 12.5.5.


Apple ended major update support for these models of iPad in September 2019 - although they since continued to receive “point” security updates until late last year. 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 iPadOS15.


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


I hope this information provides clarity as to your available options - and the fundamental limitations of older models of iPad.

Ipad Update

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