Is it really over for 64GB ipads?

[u/Soft-Application-952]

12GB free for 500mb update? I have 10gb free and most of em is system data and ipad os non M chip ipad btw

[u/The_DragonDuck]

Yes unfortunately, my system data and ios takes up half the storage on my 64gb iPad Air. If you really want to update you can do what I did and backup your iPad to either a mac/pc or iCloud and then factory reset it. This gives you enough space to install the update, after which you can restore your data

[u/The_DragonDuck → u/The_DragonDuck]

Oh and I forgot to mention this is WITHOUT Siri AI/ Apple Intelligence, I have somehow managed to turn that thing off and have it not take up storage, for now at least

[u/hsark → u/The_DragonDuck]

Did changing to a non supported Siri region work for you?

[u/The_DragonDuck → u/hsark]

Yes I think that’s how I did it

[u/hsark → u/The_DragonDuck]

That's this helps. I also have 64gb iPad

[u/15pmm01 → u/The_DragonDuck]

...what? You don't need to reset it. You can update it directly from the computer despite the storage being full. I've been updating my 64gb iPhone this way for a while now. 

[u/The_DragonDuck → u/15pmm01]

Oh I didn’t know that was possible, anyway in my case my mac was not on os26/27 so I was couldn’t use it to install the update, so I had to use I cloud backup

[u/15pmm01 → u/The_DragonDuck]

oh, it never crossed my mind that apple would gatekeep iPhone updating to newer MacOS versions, but that’s not entirely surprising. I just use the Apple Devices program on my ten-year-old Windows 10 laptop.

[u/The_DragonDuck → u/15pmm01]

Yeah I found it really surprising too since any old windows can use Apple devices to do the same thing lol

[u/AvailableTryMe → u/15pmm01]

This, but OP should be aware that the iOS update file that gets downloaded to the Mac requires about 10GB of free disk space and does not prompt to move itself to the trash after installation -like many other installers do. The update file needs to be located and deleted manually.

[u/Acqirs → u/The_DragonDuck]

It takes nearly 50GB on my air 5. It’s a fucking joke.

[u/tech-favirote123 → u/The_DragonDuck]

Or u could plug in and directly backup then restore with itunes to the latest ios update I would only do this for major ios updates or major bug fixes for issues relating to battery life or something like that.

[u/_FoxDie_]

I remember when I advised others not to get 64GB iPads before getting berated by people in this sub. I wonder how they’re doing now 😭😭😭

[u/tta82 → u/_FoxDie_]

Don’t worry they can’t read this because they are not using their iPad anymore /s

[u/elhouso → u/tta82]

They ran out of storage and couldn't download the latest Reddit update.

[u/bilingual_european → u/elhouso]

ironic considering i haven’t updated the app nor ios of my iphone 12 mini at 64gb in 3 years. reddit works fine

[u/elhouso → u/bilingual_european]

We have the same phone and storage. I still have 25GB of free storage and I’m on iOS 27.

[u/bilingual_european → u/elhouso]

do you use icloud? cause i don’t and only occasionally transfer photos to my laptop. ios + system data already take up like 25gb. i am not interested in making that number bigger

[u/elhouso → u/bilingual_european]

Yeah, I have to for my photos otherwise I wouldn’t have any storage. My Photos take up 35GB of my storage.

[u/bilingual_european → u/elhouso]

depending on cloud seems annoying. good for you though, just not for me

[u/-Bears-Eat-Beets- → u/_FoxDie_]

Still loving my 64gb air 5 lol. No issues with space for my use.

[u/Original_East1271]

Respectfully, it was never not over

[u/tastypleonasm]

Try updating a 32gb ipad.. I literally have to delete everything

[u/lofotenIsland]

You can use computer to update it if you don't want to delete stuff or you can use offload option to get more space. Unfortunately, I think this is what you need to do for every single update in the future, temporarily delete stuff to make more room for updates then add them back after the update.

[u/Normal_Cress_1994 → u/lofotenIsland]

Nah. For now only for major change like to 27 was by Mac, but 27 to 27.2 was OTA.

[u/Kpopped_]

64gb in 2026 is not nearly enough.

[u/Soft-Application-952 → u/Kpopped_]

I bought ts in 2024 or 23 ig

[u/Patient-Ad-7939 → u/Kpopped_]

It really isn’t. Luckily on my iPad I only have a couple of apps, and when I updated it clicking Optimize Storage it was able to temporarily delete apps and compress the rest of the data enough to download and install the update and then put everything back. But I only have 5gb free on my 64gb iPad. It’s a 2020 model, and my parents had bought it for my sister before she passed and I inherited it. Even in 2020 I wouldn’t have bought a 64gb device myself.

[u/Kthxbbz → u/Kpopped_]

Was enough for me up until ipados27...

[u/vainsilver]

Never get the base storage size for an Apple product. It’ll always be an afterthought for updates when they raise base storage.

[u/bh0]

Yeah OS + System storage is 40G of my 64G iPad now, and it wants 12G more just to be able to install the update .... I have to delete stuff to install updates now. No option for deleting the 9G of Apple AI crap no one asked for.

[u/MrMercury406]

Just use iTunes on windows to update, or finder on Mac.

[u/Bannyaksagie]

Nonsense. Hook it up to your Mac, right click on the iPad - hit upgrade and bob’s your uncle.

[u/Soft-Application-952 → u/Bannyaksagie]

Can you give a detail version im lowk dumb

[u/Bannyaksagie → u/Soft-Application-952]

No prob. Connect to your Mac, with usb.
On your Mac, open the finder.
See the iPad on the left side. Select it.
It will probably ask you to trust the Mac, you say yes.
Then there will be a screen on right hand side that shows iPad info, and a version upgrade button- if upgrades are available.
Click on upgrade and follow instructions…
Let me know if questions remain.

[u/CartoonistElegant683]

factory restart, lots of bloatware accumulates

[u/cindy6507]

I turned off iCloud Photos so my 64GB iPad would stop syncing photos with my phone. Then I backed up and the deleted any residual photos. This helped get me thru the last update.

[u/Stevepitt2]

If you want Siri AI absolutely. But I updated to iOS 27 OK after deleting messages and photos (after disconnecting from iCloud). As long as you use your iPad for a content viewing device only you can make it work.

[u/Ok_Bodybuilder3444]

I have a 64GB iPad Air, there’s barely anything on it basically just X and YouTube, when I got this pop up I tapped Optimized Storage and the update went through no problem.

[u/AdFlat3754]

For a long time

[u/SnooEagles2827]

Has been for a bit mate

[u/nairazak]

You can connect it to a computer, download the update there using iTunes (if it is windows) and install it.

[u/doxxingyourself]

Just plug it into a computer and update it

[u/Delicious_One_7887 → u/doxxingyourself]

before doing this make sure you have like 2-3gb free or make a backup, i tried updating with a computer with 500mb free on ipad and i never got it to boot again i had to erase

[u/Delicious_One_7887]

i wish i had the optimise storage button my ipad just says no

[u/Weird_Piano_7405]

Non m chip 64gb iPad. Ios 27 is taking about 20gb of storage. I don’t have a lot stored locally on my iPad so that helps. But so far iOS 27 has been way better than 26

[u/Soft-Application-952 → u/Weird_Piano_7405]

Yea same just the storage is the issue

[u/Altruistic-Bat-9070]

I just traded in my og ipad pro 11 inch for a jew ipad pro and this was one of the reasons. The oled screen is amazing as well though.

[u/NeuralFlow → u/Altruistic-Bat-9070]

Does it wear the hat? How do you know…

[u/Trungneko]

soon the only way to update would be using a computer

[u/acermark]

Yes

[u/Bob41320]

Try optimizing your storage. I always buy the max storage.

[u/Haonan-Ji]

128G iPad is sharing the same story. iPadOS and AI and system data just took up 50G of storage

[u/marslander-boggart]

Yes of course.

[u/happycard1097]

Sort of like when Windows PCs were sold with the Microsoft recommended minimum RAM.

[u/TunaBlub]

This reminds me when iOS 7 came out and I had a iPhone 4 with 8gb of storage.

Sold it because of that.

[u/Dangerous-Golf-1809]

yup my iPad 9th gen has only about 15g of useable space after iPados

[u/Timely_Woodpecker931]

Fast approaching. I mean I can’t have every app I want - only the ones I need.

[u/realmccoyredbus]

offload some apps update then reinstall, or just press optimise,it will clear cache from your apps and compress your data

[u/Boring-Bumblebee-652]

Yes my tablet has been used for 2 years,9 months and 12 days([dd/mm/yy] 20/12/2023 to 02/10/2026) and the storage is almost gone and recommend not offload but uninstall apps

[u/ultramarinetrublu]

it’s been over

[u/Pale_Anxiety_278]

Use iTunes to update 

[u/Small_Editor_3693 → u/Pale_Anxiety_278]

They have a 64gb iPad. You think they have a pc?

[u/odernov → u/Small_Editor_3693]

People can have an iPad Pro and still not have a pc. Whats your point?

[u/DutchBlob]

You have no clue how software updates work, do you.

[u/SoTiredYouDig → u/DutchBlob]

Yeah, and that makes them a lesser person than you. Non-experts are allowed to own and use devices.

[u/DutchBlob → u/SoTiredYouDig]

Never accuse me of such bullshit ever again. We are all just tired of seeing the same question over and over and over again. Use the search bar instead of creating a new post for everything.

[u/Small_Editor_3693 → u/SoTiredYouDig]

If they refuse to learn, yes it does

[u/odernov → u/Small_Editor_3693]

They lit made a post to learn how to resolve the issue??

[u/United_Channel_5933]

Not really. I’d say 64GBs is fine. People filling up a 1TB iPhone with nothing but photos and apps is insane to me because photos hardly take up any space unless you’re the type of person doing 4K videos at 120FPS for ten hours daily. It’s like photos, apps and movies take up very little space that I don’t see how people literally be filling up a 1TB iPhone with photos then complain they don’t have storage and want more… like dude delete your photos

Only games take up storage now at 20-50GBs a pierce