iPad 6th Gen (iPadOS 17): Apps need iPadOS 18

Hi Go_Go_Frenzy,

‘I’m Senhiru. I have an iPad Pro 1st gen (2015) which is stuck at iOS 16. I get the feeling that you have and yeah I know it sucks, missing out on the apps that we need for study/work. There is indeed a work around for this and the trick is another apple device like and iPhone. If you login with the same Apple ID, and then download the app you want and then just stop it. Then go to your iPad and then click your account, and then purchased and you should see a cloud icon next to the app you downloaded then once you press it, it should show “Download older version of Software”.

Good luck 🍀

Hi,

I have an iPad 6th Generation as well, but I think you are misunderstanding a bit here. Please also note that it's clear your post is written by AI. Please do not do this in the future.

My iPad 6th Gen is permanently capped at iPadOS 17.7.10

This is a big issue for people like me who rely on their iPad for everyday work — losing support for these apps overnight isn't a minor inconvenience, it affects how we actually get things done. Apple rolling iOS 18 support away from the 6th Gen without offering any real alternative for existing users feels unfair, especially for those who depend on this device daily.

The iPad 6th Gen was released in 2018, and has limited processing power. It has the same processor as the iPhone 7, and 2GB RAM. It is not powerful enough to run iOS 18. It is almost a decade old soon. It's not unfair that Apple have stopped updating it, it's a normal lifecycle.

I'd also genuinely like to hear from Apple on this.

This is an end-user to end-user forum. If you want to contact Apple, contact Apple.

"Just buy a new iPad" isn't a real solution for everyone — new iPads aren't cheap, and not everyone can afford to replace a perfectly working device just because software support was cut off. There should be some kind of alternative or middle ground for users stuck in this position.

All products have limited lifecycles. Apple can't support their devices forever with new iOS versions, and Apple can't force Microsoft or similar to develop applications for iPadOS 17. Most applications still support iPadOS 17, and for those who don't you can use older apps. So there is an alternative to not buying a new iPad. Use your current iPad with older apps.

Are there older versions of these apps (via alternate app stores or manual APK-style installs, if available for iPad) that still work on iPadOS 17?

Apple devices don't use APKs. And since you use an AI to write this post, you should not use third party app stores since you're not tech-savvy enough to do it safely. However, the App Store does let you download older versions for applications you own. Do this:

1. Get a supported iPhone or iPad and open the App Store
2. Download and install OneNote and all other applications you need on your iPad on to that device
3. Sign in with the same Apple Account on your iPad as you used on the other device
4. Go to your profile in the top right, tap Apps and then Purchases
5. Tap the cloud next to the app. It will let you download the latest compatible app for your device.

Do note that the app won't be updated, but it will let you use the app for as long as the app developer lets you.

Go_Go_Frenzy wrote:

Go_Go_Frenzy wrote:

........ omissis

Has anyone else run into this? A few things I'm trying to figure out:

Are there older versions of these apps (via alternate app stores or manual APK-style installs, if available for iPad) that still work on iPadOS 17?

• Any solid alternatives to OneNote/GoodNotes that still support iPadOS 17?

Would appreciate any workarounds, alternative app suggestions, or advice from people who've dealt with this. Thanks!

Sorry, no way to update an iPad Model 6 past iPadOS 17.x.x.

See why in this compatibility chart:

As far as older apps versions are concerned, you can try contacting their developer/support teams and ask them, using these instructions:--> How to contact an app developer - Apple Support.

"Solid" alternatives: in the AppStore there are many alternatives, but I can't tell you how "solid" they are. Give them a try.

Go_Go_Frenzy wrote:

Issue:

My iPad 6th Gen is permanently capped at iPadOS 17.7.10 — Apple stopped supporting it with iPadOS 18 back in 2024. Because of this, I can't install or update several apps I need for work/study, including Microsoft OneNote, GoodNotes, and others that now require iOS/iPadOS 18 or later.

Your iPad, which originally ran iOS 11.3, will never be able to update to iPadOS 18 or higher. That does not necessarily mean that your iPad is "permanently capped at iPadOS 17.7.10". There is an iPadOS 17.7.11 bug fix and security update out, and Apple indicates that one of the devices it is available for is the 6th-generation iPad. If there was ever a 17.7.12, your iPad would likely be in line for it, too.

About iPadOS 17 Updates - Apple Support

Apple security releases - Apple Support

I'd also genuinely like to hear from Apple on this.

This is a user-to-user forum. Apple largely is not here except to moderate it, and I've never seen them answer a "Why?" question here in the whole time that I have been here.

Has anyone else run into this? A few things I'm trying to figure out:

Are there older versions of these apps (via alternate app stores or manual APK-style installs, if available for iPad) that still work on iPadOS 17?

You cannot perform manual APK-style installs on an iPad. As for alternate app stores, I believe those only exist in the European Union, and the outfits that are running them have not set them up with the idea of "supporting older versions of iOS" in mind. Unless you're talking about ancient 32-bit apps (pre-iOS-10), I believe that developers who want to support old versions of iOS in the App Store already have the means to do so. The issue is just that many of them do not care to do so.

SharonMF wrote:

How could you tell this was written by AI?

Lots of people assume that the use of an em-dash always means AI. Also, the "it's not just this, it's that" construction. This sentence has both:

This is a big issue for people like me who rely on their iPad for everyday work — losing support for these apps overnight isn't a minor inconvenience, it affects how we actually get things done.

What the person who made that accusation may not have taken into account is that the writer was not a native speaker of English and used AI to make their post more readable. Or, they don't feel they are a good writer. Or one of many other good reasons for using AI as a tool to help communicate. It does not necessarily invalidate the issue.

dinuk128 wrote:

There is indeed a work around for this and the trick is another apple device like and iPhone. If you login with the same Apple ID, and then download the app you want and then just stop it. Then go to your iPad and then click your account, and then purchased and you should see a cloud icon next to the app you downloaded then once you press it, it should show “Download older version of Software”.

This only works if the developer still makes the older version available. That is not always the case.

How could you tell this was written by AI?

Did you notice you simply repeated advice posted a month ago? Please read prior answers first.