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iPadOS 18 rumoured system requirements: will it run on your iPad?

Apple's latest major iPad software update is on the way – but will you be able to use iPadOS 18 with your current Apple tablet?

Connor Jewiss Connor Jewiss
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Apple is working on its next major software update for the iPad – iPadOS 18. As you’d expect, iPadOS 18 will work best with the latest iPads. But a whole bunch of older Apple tablets will also get the free software update – stretching back around five years.

But will your current iPad get the iPadOS 18 update? Here’s our guide to the rumoured iPadOS 18 system requirements.

Will my iPad get iPadOS 18?

This time around, Apple is keeping the system requirements for iPadOS 18 mostly the same as those for iPadOS 17, but with a few exceptions. The next major iPad software update will drop support for the 6th-generation iPad, 2nd-generation iPad Pro (12.9-inch), and iPad Pro (10.5-inch). With iPadOS 17, Apple dumped support for the iPad 5 and iPad Pros from 2015 and 2016. But every other iPad will likely be able to install it. This news comes courtesy of a MacRumors contributor, with a track record of accurate iPhone leaks.

But why is Apple opening up iPadOS 18 to as many devices as possible? It’s thought that the next version of the iPhone and iPads’s software is going to pack a number of new AI-powered features, potentially including a revamped Siri. The design is also set to get a major refresh. With so many changes, making this update as broad as possible can only be a good thing – giving users an extra reason to keep their iPad. And upgrade to the next one, naturally.

Here’s a full list of the devices expected to be compatible with iOS 18:

  • iPad: 2019 and later
  • iPad mini: 2019 and later
  • iPad Air: 2019 and later
  • iPad Pro 2018 and later

Expect the new software to debut at Apple’s WWDC 2024 developers conference in June, before it rolls out to everyone in September.

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About

Connor is a writer for Stuff, working across the magazine and the Stuff.tv website. He has been writing for around six years now, with writing across the web and in print too. Connor has experience on most major platforms, though does hold a place in his heart for macOS, iOS/iPadOS, electric vehicles, and smartphone tech. Just like everyone else around here, he’s a fan of gadgets of all sorts! Aside from writing, Connor is involved in the startup scene. This exciting involvement puts him at the front of new and exciting tech, always on the lookout for innovating products.

Areas of expertise

Mobile, macOS, EVs, smart home