iPadOS 17 system requirements: can your iPad run it?
The list of supported iPads is fairly extensive, but there are still a couple of omissions this time around
The newest version of Apple’s iPadOS is now available as a beta, as unveiled at WWDC 2023 – Apple’s developer conference back in June.
It’s headed for a general release on 18 September following the iPhone 15 unveiling – but can your existing iPad run it?
iPadOS 17 includes a bunch of enhancements around multitasking, improving last year’s Stage Manager, and interactive widgets have made an appearance. We’re also getting a new customisable lock screen that mimics the iPhone update from last year.
This time around, the new version of iPadOS dumps support for the iPad 5 and iPad Pros from 2015 and 2016, but everything else can install it. That means iPadOS 17 goes back to the 2016 iPad Pro, the 2018 versions of the standard iPad, and 2019 version of the iPad Mini and iPad Air. That means the current shelf life of an iPad is somewhere around seven years before Apple stops releasing new software for it.
NOTE: We strongly recommend you don’t install any kind of pre-release (beta) software on an iPad you use every day and especially not if it’s something you rely on. Remember to always back up your data first.
iPadOS 17 supported devices: full list
- iPad Pro (2nd generation and later)
- iPad Air (3rd generation and later)
- iPad (6th generation and later)
- iPad mini (5th generation and later)
Also check out: How to download and install the iOS 17, iPadOS 17 and macOS Sonoma public betas
Connor Jewiss
