How much internal storage do the iPad Air models have? Is it possible to add external storage? Which external storage option is best for my need?

All iPad Air models have a fixed default capacity at the time of purchase and this internal storage cannot be expanded or upgraded subsequently. No iPad Air models have have an SD Card or MicroSD card slot for future expansion, either.

Nevertheless, it is quite possible to add external storage to all iPad Air devices via its Lightning connector or USB-C port.

Default Internal iPad Air Storage (Skip)

The default storage options are listed on the specs page for each iPad Air, but also follows:

iPad Air (Lightning Connector)
Air (Wi-Fi Only)	A1474	16, 32, 64, 128 GB
Air (Wi-Fi/Cellular)	A1475	16, 32, 64, 128 GB
Air (Wi-Fi/TD-LTE - China)	A1476	16, 32, 64, 128 GB
Air 2 (Wi-Fi Only)	A1566	16, 32, 64, 128 GB
Air 2 (Wi-Fi/Cellular)	A1567	16, 32, 64, 128 GB
Air 3rd Gen (Wi-Fi+Cell US/CA)	A2153	64, 256 GB
Air 3rd Gen (Wi-Fi+Cell Global)	A2123	64, 256 GB
Air 3rd Gen (Wi-Fi+Cell China)	A2154	64, 256 GB
iPad Air (USB-C Connector)
Air 4th Gen (Wi-Fi Only)	A2316	64, 256 GB
Air 4th Gen (Wi-Fi+Cell US/CA)	A2324	64, 256 GB
Air 4th Gen (Wi-Fi+Cell Global)	A2072	64, 256 GB
Air 4th Gen (Wi-Fi+Cell China)	A2325	64, 256 GB
Air 5th Gen (Wi-Fi Only)	A2588	64, 256 GB
Air 5th Gen (Wi-Fi+Cell A2589)	A2589	64, 256 GB
Air 5th Gen (Wi-Fi+Cell China)	A2591	64, 256 GB
Air M2 11" (Wi-Fi Only)	A2902	128, 256, 512 GB; 1 TB
Air M2 11" (Wi-Fi+Cell)	A2903	128, 256, 512 GB; 1 TB
Air M2 11" (Wi-Fi+Cell China)	A2904	128, 256, 512 GB; 1 TB
Air M2 13" (Wi-Fi Only)	A2898	128, 256, 512 GB; 1 TB
Air M2 13" (Wi-Fi+Cell)	A2899	128, 256, 512 GB; 1 TB
Air M2 13" (Wi-Fi+Cell China)	A2900	128, 256, 512 GB; 1 TB
Air M3 11" (Wi-Fi Only)	A3266	128, 256, 512 GB; 1 TB
Air M3 11" (Wi-Fi+Cell)	A3267	128, 256, 512 GB; 1 TB
Air M3 11" (Wi-Fi+Cell China)	A3270	128, 256, 512 GB; 1 TB
Air M3 13" (Wi-Fi Only)	A3268	128, 256, 512 GB; 1 TB
Air M3 13" (Wi-Fi+Cell)	A3269	128, 256, 512 GB; 1 TB
Air M3 13" (Wi-Fi+Cell China)	A3271	128, 256, 512 GB; 1 TB

To reiterate, the default internal storage in all iPad Air models cannot be upgraded beyond the amount that was installed at the time of purchase.

External iPad Air Storage Solutions

If you would like to add storage to your iPad Air tablet, it is straightforward to do so using its Lightning connector or USB-C port.

Best Lightning External iPad Air Storage

Effectively any external Lightning storage that works with an iPhone also will work with iPad Air models with a Lightning port; the original iPad Air, iPad Air 2, and iPad Air 3rd Gen.

Two of the best compact external storage options for these iPad Air models are the SanDisk iXpand Flash Drive Go and SanDisk iXpand Flash Drive Luxe, sold by site sponsor Adorama and others.

Photo Credit: SanDisk (Go - Left; Luxe - Right)

These two USB sticks are similar with the option of 64 GB, 128 GB, or 256 GB of storage and ports on both ends. Both devices have a Lightning port on one end -- so they can be connected to an iPad Air with a Lightning Port -- and a USB-A port or USB-C port on the other end -- for the Go and Luxe, respectively -- so that they can be connected to an older computer equipped with a USB-A port or a newer computer (or newer iPad Air) with a USB-C port.

The SanDisk iXpand Flash Drive Luxe, in particular, because it has both Lightning and USB-C ports, is an especially convenient option because it can be easily used with both old and new iPad Air models.

Best USB-C External iPad Air Storage

For iPad Air 4th Gen and later models, all of which have a USB-C port, external USB-C storage is straightforward to use as well as reliable and fairly fast.

Two quality, high capacity options include the OWC Envoy Pro Elektron from site sponsor Other World Computing and the SanDisk Extreme Portable External SSD from site sponsor Adorama.

Photo Credit: OWC (Left); SanDisk (Right)

The OWC Envoy Pro Elektron and SanDisk Extreme Portable External SSD are both smaller than a mobile phone and use durable cases designed to resist dust and water and survive a drop and bounce around in a backpack without issue.

The SanDisk Extreme supports transfer speeds up to 550MB/s and is offered in capacities ranging from 500 GB to 4 TB. The OWC Envoy Pro Elektron is faster, with transfer speeds up to 1011MB/s and capacities from 240 GB to 4 TB.

iPad Air Storage Summary

By adding external storage to your iPad Air via Lightning or USB-C, it makes it much easier to store massive numbers of photos or hours of video whether for viewing, organization, or editing. It also can prolong the life of your iPad Air if storage capacity is the only reason you would otherwise consider buying a newer model.