You can make a difference in the Apple Support Community!

When you sign up with your Apple Account, you can provide valuable feedback to other community members by upvoting helpful replies and User Tips.

Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

Updating to iPadOS

How can I update an iPad Air (3rd Generation) with iOS 12.5.5 to iPadOS 13 or later?

iPad Air, iOS 12

Posted on Jul 11, 2022 12:41 PM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Jul 11, 2022 3:30 PM

The first generation iPad Air, iPad mini2 and mini3 can only be updated to iOS 12.5.5. With this version installed, you will have one of these three models.


Identify your iPad model - Apple Support


Apple ended major update support for these models of iPad in September 2019 - although they 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 more recent versions of iOS than your iPad is capable of support, you have no alternative other than to consider replacement of your iPad with a newer or current model that supports iPadOS15.x.


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


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

5 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Jul 11, 2022 3:30 PM in response to Abiodun_

The first generation iPad Air, iPad mini2 and mini3 can only be updated to iOS 12.5.5. With this version installed, you will have one of these three models.


Identify your iPad model - Apple Support


Apple ended major update support for these models of iPad in September 2019 - although they 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 more recent versions of iOS than your iPad is capable of support, you have no alternative other than to consider replacement of your iPad with a newer or current model that supports iPadOS15.x.


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


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

Updating to iPadOS

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.