To find out what gen your iPad is, open Settings, tap General, then tap About. The Model Name line tells you which iPad you have. If it reads something like iPad (9th generation), you are done. If it shows a chip name instead, such as iPad (A16) or iPad Air 11-inch (M4), you need one more step: the model number.
Apple dropped generation numbers from the names of its newer iPads, so the generation is easy to lose track of. The fix is simple. Every iPad carries a model number that points to one exact model and year. This guide shows where to find it, how to match it to your iPad, and what to do when the screen will not turn on.
How do I check my iPad’s generation in Settings?
This takes about ten seconds and works on any iPad that turns on.
- Open the Settings app and tap General.
- Tap About.
- Read the Model Name line near the top. This is your iPad family and, on many models, its generation.
- Find Model Number. It first shows a code with a slash in it. That is the part number. Tap it once and it switches to the model number, which starts with the letter A followed by four digits, such as A2602.
The model name is often enough. An iPad that reads iPad (9th generation) is exactly that. The A-number goes one step further. It tells you the exact hardware, including whether you have the Wi-Fi or the cellular version. Apple lays out the same steps on its page about finding your model number.
Not sure which code you are looking at? The one with a slash is the part number. It will not match any model list, so tap it to switch.
Skip the Name line at the very top of the About screen. That label is whatever you or a past owner typed in, and it can carry over from an older iPad when a new one is set up from a backup. The Model Name and Model Number lines come from the hardware itself.
Key takeaway: the A-number is the code to trust. Names change from year to year, but each A-number points to one model and one release year.
Why does my iPad show a chip name instead of a generation?
The standard iPad used numbers up to the iPad (10th generation) in 2022. Since 2024, new models carry the chip inside as part of the name. Here is how the current names line up with the old numbering.
- iPad (A16), released in 2025, followed the 10th generation. Counting on from the old numbers, it is the 11th-generation iPad.
- iPad mini (A17 Pro), from 2024, is the 7th-generation iPad mini. It followed the iPad mini (6th generation) from 2021.
- iPad Air comes in 11-inch and 13-inch sizes with an M2 (2024), M3 (2025), or M4 (2026) chip. The M4 models are the 8th-generation iPad Air, and they followed the iPad Air (5th generation) from 2022.
- iPad Pro comes in 11-inch and 13-inch sizes with an M4 (2024) or M5 (2025) chip. The 13-inch size replaced the old 12.9-inch size.
If a shop, a buyer, or a form asks for your generation, give the chip name, the screen size, and the A-number. That is the clearest way to say it. Two iPads from different years can look almost the same, but they never share a model number.
How do I find the model number if my iPad will not turn on?
You can still read it off the hardware. Many iPads print the A-number in small type on the back cover, near the bottom edge, under the word iPad.
If it is not there, look in the charging port. On an iPad that does not show the number on its back, the model number sits on the upper side of the USB-C or Lightning connector, the side that faces the screen. Check it under bright light, and a phone flashlight helps. Apple covers this in the same model number guide.
Once you have the A-number, match it in the tables below. The number is the same whether the iPad is on or off.
Which iPad is which? Model numbers by generation
Find your A-number in the tables below. Models sold in mainland China, and a few cellular versions with mmWave, have extra numbers. If yours is missing, Apple’s Identify your iPad model page lists every variant and shows photos of each iPad.
Here is how it works in practice. Say your model number reads A2602. Find it in the iPad table below: it is the iPad (9th generation) from 2021, the Wi-Fi version. A2604 would be the same iPad with cellular. Now say yours reads A3459. That is the 11-inch iPad Air (M4) from 2026, Wi-Fi only. One number gives you the name, the year, and the connection type.
iPad
| Model | Year | Model numbers (Wi-Fi first, then cellular) |
| iPad (original) | 2010 | A1219, A1337 |
| iPad 2 | 2011 | A1395, A1396, A1397 |
| iPad (3rd generation) | 2012 | A1416, A1430, A1403 |
| iPad (4th generation) | 2012 | A1458, A1459, A1460 |
| iPad (5th generation) | 2017 | A1822, A1823 |
| iPad (6th generation) | 2018 | A1893, A1954 |
| iPad (7th generation) | 2019 | A2197, A2198, A2200 |
| iPad (8th generation) | 2020 | A2270, A2428, A2429, A2430 |
| iPad (9th generation) | 2021 | A2602, A2604, A2603 |
| iPad (10th generation) | 2022 | A2696, A2757 |
| iPad (A16) | 2025 | A3354, A3355 |
iPad mini
| Model | Year | Model numbers (Wi-Fi first, then cellular) |
| iPad mini | 2012 | A1432, A1454, A1455 |
| iPad mini 2 | 2013 | A1489, A1490, A1491 |
| iPad mini 3 | 2014 | A1599, A1600 |
| iPad mini 4 | 2015 | A1538, A1550 |
| iPad mini (5th generation) | 2019 | A2133, A2124, A2126 |
| iPad mini (6th generation) | 2021 | A2567, A2568 |
| iPad mini (A17 Pro) | 2024 | A2993, A2995 |
iPad Air
| Model | Year | Model numbers (Wi-Fi first, then cellular) |
| iPad Air | 2013 | A1474, A1475, A1476 |
| iPad Air 2 | 2014 | A1566, A1567 |
| iPad Air (3rd generation) | 2019 | A2152, A2123, A2153 |
| iPad Air (4th generation) | 2020 | A2316, A2324, A2325, A2072 |
| iPad Air (5th generation) | 2022 | A2588, A2589, A2591 |
| iPad Air 11-inch (M2) | 2024 | A2902, A2903 |
| iPad Air 13-inch (M2) | 2024 | A2898, A2899 |
| iPad Air 11-inch (M3) | 2025 | A3266, A3267 |
| iPad Air 13-inch (M3) | 2025 | A3268, A3269 |
| iPad Air 11-inch (M4) | 2026 | A3459, A3460 |
| iPad Air 13-inch (M4) | 2026 | A3461, A3462 |
iPad Pro
| Model | Year | Model numbers (Wi-Fi first, then cellular) |
| iPad Pro (12.9-inch) | 2015 | A1584, A1652 |
| iPad Pro (9.7-inch) | 2016 | A1673, A1674, A1675 |
| iPad Pro (10.5-inch) | 2017 | A1701, A1709 |
| iPad Pro 12.9-inch (2nd generation) | 2017 | A1670, A1671 |
| iPad Pro 11-inch | 2018 | A1980, A2013, A1934 |
| iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation) | 2018 | A1876, A2014, A1895 |
| iPad Pro 11-inch (2nd generation) | 2020 | A2228, A2068, A2230 |
| iPad Pro 12.9-inch (4th generation) | 2020 | A2229, A2069, A2232 |
| iPad Pro 11-inch (3rd generation) | 2021 | A2377, A2459, A2301 |
| iPad Pro 12.9-inch (5th generation) | 2021 | A2378, A2461, A2379 |
| iPad Pro 11-inch (4th generation) | 2022 | A2759, A2761, A2435 |
| iPad Pro 12.9-inch (6th generation) | 2022 | A2436, A2437, A2764 |
| iPad Pro 11-inch (M4) | 2024 | A2836, A2837 |
| iPad Pro 13-inch (M4) | 2024 | A2925, A2926 |
| iPad Pro 11-inch (M5) | 2025 | A3357, A3358 |
| iPad Pro 13-inch (M5) | 2025 | A3360, A3361 |
Can I tell which iPad I have just by looking at it?
You can narrow it down, but you cannot be exact. A round Home button below the screen means an older design: the iPad (9th generation) or earlier, the iPad mini (5th generation) or earlier, the iPad Air (3rd generation) or earlier, and the first iPad Pro models from 2015 to 2017.
Touch ID built into the top button, with no Home button, points to a newer design. That covers the iPad Air from the 4th generation on, the iPad (10th generation) and later, and the iPad mini from the 6th generation on. Face ID means an iPad Pro from 2018 or later.
Screen size helps with the Pro line. The 9.7-inch and 10.5-inch Pros are from 2016 and 2017. The 12.9-inch Pro ran from 2015 to 2022. The 11-inch Pro started in 2018, and the 13-inch Pro arrived in 2024. Looks get you to a short list. The A-number gets you to the answer.
Why does your iPad’s generation matter?
Software updates. iPadOS 27 arrived on September 14, 2026. It runs on the iPad (9th generation) and later, the iPad mini (6th generation) and later, the iPad Air (4th generation) and later, the iPad Pro 11-inch (2nd generation) and later, and the iPad Pro 12.9-inch (4th generation) and later. Five models were left off: the iPad (8th generation), the iPad mini (5th generation), the iPad Air (3rd generation), the first iPad Pro 11-inch, and the iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation). They still work, but they will not get iPadOS 27.
Accessories. A case built for an iPad with a Home button will not fit one without it. Keyboards and Apple Pencil support also change from model to model. Check the A-number or the full model name before you buy.
Selling and repairs. Buyers, trade-in services, and repair shops all want the exact model. Giving the model name and the A-number keeps everyone on the same page, and it stops a 2019 iPad from being listed as a 2021 one.
Conclusion
To find what gen your iPad is, open Settings, tap General, then About, and read the Model Name. For an exact answer, tap Model Number to reveal the A-number and match it to the tables above. If the iPad will not turn on, read the number on the back or inside the charging port. A good result is a full model name, a year, and an A-number you can give to a buyer, a shop, or an accessory store.
Frequently asked questions
Is the model number the same as the serial number?
No. The model number is shared by every iPad of the same model. The serial number is unique to your own device. Both appear in Settings, under General, then About.
How do I find the generation of an iPad that only shows a chip name?
Match its A-number to the tables above, or count from the last numbered model. The iPad (A16) is the 11th-generation iPad, the iPad mini (A17 Pro) is the 7th-generation mini, and the M4 iPad Air is the 8th-generation Air.
Why does one iPad have several model numbers?
Each model has one number for the Wi-Fi version and another for the cellular version. Some also have extra numbers for mmWave or for sale in mainland China. All of them point to the same generation.
Will my older iPad stop working after iPadOS 27?
No. It keeps working with the software it already has. It just will not get iPadOS 27. The iPad (8th generation), iPad mini (5th generation), iPad Air (3rd generation), and the 2018 iPad Pros were left off the list.
How do I tell which iPad Air I have?
Check Settings, then General, then About, and read the Model Name. A Home button means the 3rd generation or earlier. Touch ID in the top button means the 4th generation or later. Models from 2024 on are named by chip: M2, M3, or M4.
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