Can I add space to my 16 GB iPad mini 2

It is impossible to increase the amount of RAM or internal storage in your iPad - as this is fixed during manufacture; what you have is fixed for the life of your device. You can, however, subscribe to a higher tier of iCloud storage - but this is not a substitute for internal storage.

Upgrade to iCloud+ - Apple Support

If your internal storage is full, your only option is to better manage the storage that you have - and delete unused Apps or unneeded data. 

These support pages should prove to be helpful:

About storage on your device and in iCloud – Apple Support

What's the difference between device storage and iCloud storage? – Apple Support

Manage your iCloud storage – Apple Support

How to check the storage on your iPhone, iPad and iPod touch – Apple Support

Clear Other storage on your iPhone or iPad - Apple Support

“Offloading” Apps can be a helpful method of creating temporary space for a software update.

https://9to5mac.com/2020/01/21/how-to-offload-apps-in-ios-to-save-space-without-deleting-their-data/

Additional information about creating sufficient space for installation of a software update can be found here:

If you need more space for an update on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support

External storage options can often help with managing limited internal storage. Depending upon your iPad model, the iPad will either have a Lightning or USB-C port - and may therefore require either an Adapter or USB hub to connect the USB Storage device. If your iPad has a Lightning port, you’ll need an Apple Lightning to USB3 Camera Adapter:

• Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter

https://store.apple.com/uk/xc/product/MK0W2ZM/A

You need to consider that it is 2023, now.

iPadOS 16.4.1 is here. Soon to come iPadOS 16.5.

These nearly 9 to 10-year old, iOS 12 iPad models are coming to the full end of their support life.

These iPad models will be 4 OS iterations behind, now.

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, some locally or from 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.

If you need OR ONLY able to afford to purchase older, less expensive iPad models, look at older IPads from 2015 and later.

All of these older model iPads below CAN, currently, run the latest releases of iPadOS 16.

2015-2017, 12.9 inch screen iPad Pro models ( 1st gen Pencil support )

2016 9.7 inch screen iPad Pro models ( 1st gen Pencil support )

2017, 10.5 inch screen iPad Pro models ( 1st gen Pencil support )

2018 11 inch or 12.9 inch screen iPad Pro models ( 2nd gen Pencil support )

2020 11 inch or 12.9 inch screen iPad Pro models ( 2nd gen Pencil support )

2017, 9.7 inch screen iPad 5th gen models ( NO Pencil support )

2018, 9.7 inch screen iPad 6th gen models ( 1st gen Pencil support )

2019, 10.2 inch screen iPad 7th gen models ( 1st gen Pencil support )

2020, 10.2 inch screen iPad 8th gen models ( 1st gen Pencil support )

2020, 10.2 inch screen iPad 8th gen models ( 1st gen Pencil support )

2021, 10.2 inch screen iPad 9th gen models ( 1st gen Pencil support )

2018, 11 inch or 12.9 inch screen iPad Pro models ( 2nd gen Pencil support )

2019, 10.5 inch screen iPad Air 3rd gen models ( 1st gen Pencil support )

2021 10.9 inch screen iPad Air 4th gen models ( 2nd gen Pencil support )

2019, 7.9 inch screen iPad Mini 5th gen models ( 1st gen Pencil support )

2021 8.3 inch screen iPad Mini 6th gen models ( 2nd gen Pencil support )

Get the largest internal data storage model you can afford as NO Apple iOS device has ANY expandable storage.

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

If you decide to go down the path of purchasing used, secondhand Apple devices, from individual Apple device sellers, here is how to avoid purchasing an Apple iOS/iPadOS device with user activation lock, in the future.

If you purchase any iPad, or any Apple iOS device, for that matter, used/second hand, online, or even in-person, make sure this iPad does NOT have user activation lock and has been properly reset for sale.

A properly reset for sale iPad should initially power up to an animated, multi-language “Welcome” screen.

DO NOT take the iPad seller's word that this iPad is user activation lock free!

We have seen plenty of used iOS device purchasers get scammed.

User Activation Lock can never be bypasss, circumvented or worked around IF there is no correct previous/original user information to be able to do so.

Apple doesn't get involved with ANY user activation locked, used/second-hand sold devices, either.

So, buyer beware!

If purchasing a used device in-person, power the iPad ON

If the iPad DOES NOT display the initial animated, multi-language “Welcome” screen, then pass on purchasing this iPad.

If the iPad powers up to any other screen, then forget purchasing this iPad.

You cannot trust that the seller actually has the correct needed info to properly reset the iPad back to factory settings right then and there before the actual purchase and exchange of money for the iPad, in question.

Pass on the device!

If you are purchasing this used iPad online ask the seller to provide multiple images, either online or be sent to you via email, showing this animated, multi-language “Welcome” screen of the interested in purchasing iPad model.

Even better, ask for a short video be sent to you showing this animated, multi-language “Welcome” screen, in action and in its entirety, posted to the online ad or emailed to you.

If the online iPad seller refuses any of these requests, pass on the iPad. DO NOT buy!

Sorry & Best of Luck to You!

No.

There is not much to be done about this, either.

The amount of available, practical, usable storage is based not only on how much iOS/iPadOS takes up but on the actual size that 1.0 GB is equivalent to, which for Apple 1.0 GB ≈1.075 GBs

Also, iOS/iPadOS devices need to maintain a minimum, constant storage amount of between 2-6 GBs to ensure nominal, expected performance and function of iOS/iPadOS.

Also, my “current” installation of iPadOS 14.2 takes up approx. 6-6. GBs of my iPad's internal storage space.

Your version of iOS maybe taking up a similar amount of internal data storage than my version!

So, with all of this stated,

A 16 GBs storage iPad starts out, after initial drive formatting, at approx. 14.5 GBs of free, internal storage.

After the installation of iOS/iPadOS, at approx. 6.5 GBs, leaves 8.0 GBs of of free, internal data storage space.

iOS/iPadOS needs a minimum of 3-6 GBs of constant remaining storage, that MUST BE MAINTAINED AT ALL TIMES, to insure/ensure nominal, acceptable operation of all iOS/iPadOS functionalities.

This leaves a 16 GBs iPad with ONLY a practical, usable storage space of between 2 and 5 GBs AND THAT IS IT!

This is virtually NO internal data storage to do much of anything with that iPad!

This is why Apple quietly, silently did away with all 16 GBs iOS device back sometime in 2016.

A 32 GBs storage iPad starts out with approx 30 GBs.,after initial internal flash drive formatting.

Minus approx. 6.5 GBs for iOS/iPadOS leaves between 23-24 GBs.

Minus 3-6GBs, for iOS/iPadOS system operational reserve, that MUST BE MAINTAINED AT ALL TIMES, to ensure/insure normal, expected operation of iOS/iPad OS, leaves approx. between 18-20 GBs of actual, usable data storage space.

Even with 20 GBs of actual, usable internal data storage space in an Apple iOS/iPadOS device,

a 32 GBs data storage devices are, now, more quickly, becoming the “new” low storage 16 GBs internal data storage space devices, today, a 32 GBs Apple iOS/iPadOS device has 3-4 times the internal data storage space of older base model, low internal data storage,16 GBs. internal data storage Apple iOS/iPadOS devices.

In reality and in use, in 2023, a 32 GBs internal data storage device is kind of a joke and of limited usefulness, when up to 2TB of internal data storage ( approx. 1.8 TBs or usable internal data storage ) portable tablet devices exist today.

Apple put an end to 32 GBs devices, in September 2021, with the base model iPad now offering 64 GBs of internal data storage ( approx. 50 GBs of actual, usable internal data storage ), which, for a few more years, anyways, has enough storage to make an iPad useful for longer period of time before data storage fills up.

Purchasing a low storage Apple device, to save on the cost of the device, is a false economy.

A 64 GBs storage iPad starts out with approx. 60 GBs.,after initial internal flash drive formatting.

Minus approx. 6.5 GBs for iOS/iPadOS leaves between 53-54 GBs.

Minus 3-6 GBs, for iOS/iPadOS system operational reserve, that MUST BE MAINTAINED AT ALL TIMES, to ensure/insure normal, expected operation of iOS/iPad OS, leaves approx. between 48-50 GBs of actual, usable data storage space.

Even this amount of internal data storage space, is considered bare minumum for iPad models today.

It maybe just time for a new or much “newer” iPad model.

Delete or offload content from it. The internal storage on any iPad, including the current models, isn't upgradable.

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Apple has been issuing security patches for iOS 12 devices right along and, at times, if needed, for even older devices.

Until Apple is made known of a security issue that affects earlier iOS versions and devices, Apple has no reasons to issue such a security update for its older devices.

Until such an issue is made known to Apple, such a security update would, most likely, be issued by Apple at the appropriate time.

You can keep using these older model, iOS 12 iPads, at least for a little while longer.

BUT, Your iPad year and model is very old.

The 2013 iPad Air 1 ( “A” model number A1474/1475/1476 ), iPad Mini 2 ( “ A” model number A1489/1490/1491 ) and the 2014 iPad Mini 3 ( “A” model number A1599/1600/1601 ) 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 the newest iPadOS versions.

These iPad models are nearly 9 and 10-years old, now, in 2023.

Sorry.

Third party app support, typically, continues for 2-3 years AFTER Apple ends full support of a subset of their devices.

The last major update to iOS 12 was in 2019, with iOS 12.3.

Apple has stopped issuing any major iOS 12 updates for these very old iPad models and have been ONLY issuing security, “point” updates for the past few years.

So, it is, now, past year three and third party app support has been on a quick and steady, downward/decline trend for all iOS 12 supported devices.

Many popular third party apps are no longer available to 9 to 10-year old iPad models that are, permanently, stuck at some version of iOS 12, or earlier iOS version.

Look for many more third party apps dropping support for all iOS 12 supported devices as the 2023 year progresses to its end.

The immediately above statement is what you really need to worry about.

In addition, all of the various iOS 12 Web browsers, that were once available for these older iPad models, should still be safe to use for a while longer, you can still use that iPad the way it has always been used, but know that 9 to 10-year old iPad models will no longer have access to any current apps.

That older Safari Web browser may, or may not, be too old old to access certain types of Website, as well.

Compatible third party Web browsers for over 8-11 year old iPad models are few, now.

Here are few third party Web browsers left, to look at, in the iOS App Store, that are still getting regular updates and are still compatible with your iOS 12 iPad year and model.

Alook Web browser

iCab mobile Web browser

Opera Web browser.

Plus, no way to know when Apple will cut off all security support for these nearly 9 and 10-year old devices.

Also, the internal, rechargeable batteries in these old iPads are, also, running on borrowed time.

Not worth the costs to replace these old internal, rechargeable batteries in these old iPads, any longer, either.

Also, these very old iPad models have NO real trade-in nor any resale value, either.

Sorry.