I have an ipad 8th Gen and I can't download any apps to it. The latest iPadOS 26.1 software is loaded but the app store says that I need to have iOS17 loaded. The software version in settings is 14.0.1?? How do I load iOS17?
Thank you for any help.
iPad Air, iOS 12
To me it sounds like your iPad OS is on the original version that came with the iPad (iPadOS 14), and it has downloaded the installer files for 26 but not yet installed it. There are different ways to ensure the highest iPadOS that your device will support is installed on your device.
This support article has instructions about updating an iPhone or iPad wirelessly --> Update your iPhone or iPad - Apple Support
You can also use Mac and PC computers to update system software, as outlined in this support article --> Update iPadOS - Apple Support
That app probably means that it needs the minimum OS version to be 17. Higher will also work.
You don't load iPadOS 17 … and probably don't load iPadOS 18, either, for that matter.
Since your iPad can run iPadOS 26, that might be the only major update still available. Apple tends to "pull" old major updates after new ones come out and have been out for a little while.
I suspect that the messages you are seeing in the App Store say that you need iPadOS 17.0 or later, not that you need iPadOS 17.0, specifically.
Andy_b0 wrote:
Hopefully the wireless method will work and I won’t need the PC. Thank you
Going from iPadOS 14 to iPadOS 26 is a jump of five major versions.
Don't be surprised if the wireless method falls flat on its face.
Thank you I will give it a go.
I will try the solution Limnos suggested. Hopefully the wireless method will work and I won’t need the PC. Thank you
The "connect to computer" methods Limnos mentions is almost always necessay when you fall far behind on updates.
However, this article: Update iPadOS - Apple Support
is not current on using a Window computer. This section:
should say that for newer version of Windows, you need to use a new MS app that replaces the iPad management functions of iTunes for Windows. See this:
Install the Apple Devices app on Windows - Apple Support (QA)
iOS software on an iPad
