The iPad mini 2 (Cellular) was introduced in 2013, shipped in 16 GB, 32 GB, 64 GB and 128 GB configurations.
Device facts (year, capacities, colours) from Apple Support. Capacities and colours can vary by model and region.
iPadOS 12.5.8
- Identifier
- iPad4,5
- Model Number
- A1490
- BuildID
- 16H88
- Release Date
- January 26, 2026
- Filesize
- 2.76 GB
- Filename
- iPad_64bit_12.5.8_16H88_Restore.ipsw
- SHA256
- 8d0c6a232e720246d8b699bfe2240833560221e8a4bf10fcb707b73be412b5f3
- SHA1
- 04ab8a320fb8c1bcbbec8f2ee44a585f52c5837e
- MD5
- 30e83f376e01c999beeda736e17e24e2
- Download URL
-
This page covers everything Apple has published for the iPad mini 2 (Cellular) (device identifier iPad4,5).
Apple lists the model number A1490 for this device, and the firmware on this page applies to it.
Before downloading, verify this is the correct device model:
- Go to Settings → General → About on your device
- Check that Model Number matches: A1490
- Or verify that Model Name is: iPad mini 2 (Cellular)
Make sure you select the correct model to avoid installation errors
Apple's firmware list for the iPad mini 2 (Cellular) starts with iPadOS 7.0.3 (Oct 22, 2013) and currently ends with iPadOS 12.5.8 (Jan 26, 2026).
That is 85 releases in total, spanning 12 years 3 months between the first and the most recent build.
iPadOS 12.5.8 is still being signed by Apple, so it can be restored, reinstalled, or updated to with Finder, iTunes, or the Apple Devices app right away.
Every build Apple has published for this device is listed below with its original Apple download link, build ID, release date, and checksums, so an older release can still be verified or archived after Apple stops signing it.
Across that history the device has received 6 major iPadOS versions: iPadOS 7 (6 releases) , iPadOS 8 (11 releases) , iPadOS 9 (13 releases) , iPadOS 10 (11 releases) , iPadOS 11 (16 releases) and iPadOS 12 (28 releases) .
Other models in the iPad mini family, each with its own firmware page.