iPad Accessories: A Quick Compatibility Guide for the Confused

Apple this week expanded the iPad lineup with a new 10th-generation entry-level iPad, a new keyboard, and possibly confusing compatibility with older accessories. The new iPad, for example, does not support the second-generation Apple Pencil or the Magic Keyboard but is supported by a new "Magic Keyboard Folio" and the first-generation Apple Pencil.

ipad Accessories
To help make it clear which accessories from Apple are supported by which iPad, we've created this guide below, organized by each iPad model currently offered in Apple's lineup and which accessories they support. The accessories listed below are considered "iPad Essentials" by Apple.


6th-generation iPad mini

The addition of the new 10th-generation iPad means the iPad lineup is the largest it's been in recent memory and potentially confusing for customers. Price-wise, the new ‌iPad‌ joins the lineup right before the iPad Air at a starting price of $449. The ninth-generation iPad remains in the lineup at $329.

Compared to the iPad Air, the new entry-level iPad does not feature a laminated display or an anti-reflective coating, lacks support for the second-generation Apple Pencil and is powered by the A14 Bionic chip. Pre-orders for the new entry-level iPad and the new iPad Pro, now featuring the M2 Apple silicon chip, began earlier this week and will begin arriving to customers on Wednesday, October 26.

Related Roundups: iPad, iPad Air , iPad Pro, iPad mini
Related Forum: iPad

Popular Stories

ios 19 messages app

Apple Sues Jon Prosser Over iOS 26 Leaks

Thursday July 17, 2025 8:40 pm PDT by
Earlier this year, YouTuber Jon Prosser shared multiple videos showing off what he claimed to be re-created renderings of what was then presumed to be called iOS 19 and which was eventually unveiled by Apple as iOS 26 at WWDC in June. In his first video back in January, Prosser showed off a Camera app redesign with a simpler set of buttons for moving between photo and video modes, and he...
iPhone 17 Colors

All 15 New iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro Colors Revealed in Latest Leak

Wednesday July 16, 2025 6:50 am PDT by
We may finally have a definitive list of all color options for the iPhone 17 series, ahead of the devices launching in September. MacRumors concept In a report for Macworld today, Filipe Espósito said he obtained an "internal document" that allegedly reveals all of the color options for the upcoming iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max models. The report includes ...
iOS 26 on Three iPhones

Here's When to Expect the iOS 26 Public Beta

Tuesday July 15, 2025 11:07 am PDT by
Apple previously announced that a public beta of iOS 26 would be available in July, and now a more specific timeframe has surfaced. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today said that Apple's public betas should be released on or around Wednesday, July 23. In other words, expect the public betas of iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS 26, and more to be available at some point next week. Apple will be releasing...
iPhone 17 Pro Dark Blue and Orange

Ranked: The Best Features Rumored for the iPhone 17 Lineup

Wednesday July 16, 2025 4:17 pm PDT by
We have just under two months to go until the debut of Apple's iPhone 17 models, and rumors have been ramping up in recent weeks. We went through everything we know so far, pulling out the most exciting rumors and highlighting some other changes that aren't going to be so great. Top Tier Ultra Thin iPhone 17 Air - The iPhone 17 Air is 2025's most exciting iPhone rumor, because it's the...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature Homescreen

Foldable iPhone's Thickness and Price Range Detailed in New Reports

Wednesday July 16, 2025 11:31 am PDT by
Apple's long-rumored foldable iPhone will likely have a starting price between $1,800 and $2,000 in the U.S., analysts at investment banking firm UBS said this week. If so, the foldable iPhone would cost more than a MacBook Pro, which starts at $1,599. With a starting price of at least $1,800, the foldable iPhone would be the most expensive iPhone model ever released, topping the Pro Max at...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 16 New Features

Friday July 11, 2025 12:40 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are only two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:A redesigned Dynamic Island: It has been rumored that all iPhone 17 models will have a redesigned Dynamic Island interface — it might ...
Apple Watch Ultra 2 Complications

Apple Watch Ultra 3: What to Expect

Sunday July 13, 2025 10:30 am PDT by
The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 is nearly over, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the Apple Watch Ultra 3:Satellite connectivity for sending and receiving text messages when Wi-Fi and cellular coverage is unavailable 5G support, up from LTE on the Apple Watch Ultra 2 Likely a wide-angle OLED display that ...

Top Rated Comments

doobydoooby Avatar
36 months ago
I cannot get my head around them releasing a new iPad that is only compatible with the apple pencil from 2015, ignoring the one that has *only* been around since 2018. And this whole ridiculous business with the charging dongle for it, beyond belief. Who on earth is running the asylum?
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
everlast3434 Avatar
36 months ago
The fact that this article is needed is just ridiculous (but thank you for writing it cause it is needed).
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
McJobs Avatar
36 months ago
Deleted.
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
samifathi Avatar
36 months ago

The fact that this article is needed is just ridiculous (but thank you for writing it cause it is needed).
The fact it was so confusing to write is ridiculous as well. Hope people find it useful :)
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
matt_and_187_like_this Avatar
36 months ago
Confusion is the name of the game these days at Apple.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Juicy Box Avatar
36 months ago
Not just the iPads, but I wonder if the whole Apple product line up is starting to become similar to how Apple was in the 90's before SJ came back and simplified it.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)