My iPad 5th generation is stuck on iOS 16.7.10.

An iPad5 is capable of update to iPadOS 16.7.x. Due to insufficient system resources, principally CPU and RAM, your iPad5 fundamentally does not support iPadOS17 or later.

For information, here is a list of the highest version of iOS supported by the older models of iPad (for simplicity - “generations” are shortened to a number) that are restricted in their ability to be updated:

32-bit devices (obsolete)

iPad1 - iOS 5.1.1

iPad2, iPad3 and iPad mini1 - iOS 9.3.5 (WiFi Only models), iOS 9.3.6 (WiFi+Cellular)

iPad4 - iOS 10.3.3 (WiFi Only), iOS 10.3.4 (WiFi+Cellular)

64-bit devices

iPad Air1*, iPad mini2 and iPad mini3* - iOS 12.5.7

iPad Air2, iPad mini4 - iPadOS 15.8.3

iPad5, iPad Pro (9.7"/12.9" 1st generation) - iPadOS 16.7.10

iPad6, iPad Pro (10.5"/12.9" 2nd generation) - iPadOS 17.7

(*) obsolete

Newer models are all able to be updated to the current version - iPadOS 18.0.1 (17.7 optional)

• iPad Pro 13" (M4)
• iPad Pro 12.9" (3rd generation and later)
• iPad Pro 11" (1st generation and later + M4)
• iPad Air (3rd generation and later + M2)
• iPad (7th generation and later)
• iPad mini (5th generation and later)

That model isn't compatible with 17 or above; nobody on these boards can say if Apple's going to patch 16 again.

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