Will the iPad (6th gen) get the iPadOS 18 update?

The iPad6 fundamentally does not support iPadOS 18.x - as it this iPad have neither sufficient RAM or CPU that can run the latest version of iPadOS. The iPad6 can only be updated to iPadOS 17.7.x.

As of 16 April 2025, 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 15.8.4

iPad5, iPad Pro (9.7"/12.9" 1st generation)* - iPadOS 16.7.11

iPad6, iPad Pro (10.5"/12.9" 2nd generation) - iPadOS 17.7.6

(*) obsolete

Newer models are all able to be updated to the current version - iPadOS 18.4.1

• 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/M3)
• iPad (7th generation and later)
• iPad mini (5th generation and later + A17 Pro)

You are not asking Apple here but rather other end users. No one here can make that happen, and Apple won’t see your demand here.

In the decades I’ve used Apple products, I’ve never seen Apple change their minds and provide OS support for a device that was not supported at the time the OS version released.

The most common reason for this is that the OS version requires hardware support not available in older devices. You cannot retrofit an iPad 6 with the hardware needed for iPadOS 18,