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

Each iPad and iPad Air model has a fixed amount of internal storage offered at the time of purchase and this internal storage cannot be expanded or upgraded subsequently.

No iPad models have a SD Card or a MicroSD card slot, but it is quite possible to add external storage to modern iPad and and all iPad Air devices either via the Lightning connector or wirelessly.

Default Internal iPad & iPad Air Storage (Skip)

The amount of default storage is listed on the specs page for each iPad and iPad Air tablet, but also follows:

iPad (30-Pin Connector)	Model No	Internal Storage
Wi-Fi (Original/1st Gen)	A1219	16, 32, 64 GB
Wi-Fi/3G/GPS (Original/1st Gen)	A1337	16, 32, 64 GB
2 (Wi-Fi Only)	A1395	16, 32, 64 GB
2 (Wi-Fi/GSM/GPS)	A1396	16, 32, 64 GB
2 (Wi-Fi/CDMA/GPS)	A1397	16, 32, 64 GB
2 (Wi-Fi Only, iPad2,4)	A1395	16 GB
3rd Gen (Wi-Fi Only)	A1416	16, 32, 64 GB
3rd Gen (Wi-Fi/Cellular AT&T/GPS)	A1430	16, 32, 64 GB
3rd Gen (Wi-Fi/Cellular Verizon/GPS)	A1403	16, 32, 64 GB
iPad (Lightning Connector)
4th Gen (Wi-Fi Only)	A1458	16, 32, 64, 128 GB
4th Gen (Wi-Fi/AT&T/GPS)	A1459	16, 32, 64, 128 GB
4th Gen (Wi-Fi/Verizon & Sprint/GPS)	A1460	16, 32, 64, 128 GB
9.7" 5th Gen (Wi-Fi Only)	A1822	32, 128 GB
9.7" 5th Gen (Wi-Fi/Cellular)	A1823	32, 128 GB
9.7" 6th Gen (Wi-Fi Only)	A1893	32, 128 GB
9.7" 6th Gen (Wi-Fi/Cellular)	A1954	32, 128 GB
10.2" 7th Gen (Wi-Fi Only)	A2197	32, 128 GB
10.2" 7th Gen (Wi-Fi/Cellular, US/CA)	A2200	32, 128 GB
10.2" 7th Gen (Wi-Fi/Cellular, Global)	A2198	32, 128 GB
10.2" 7th Gen (Wi-Fi/Cellular, China)	A2199	32, 128 GB
10.2" 8th Gen (Wi-Fi Only)	A2270	32, 128 GB
10.2" 8th Gen (Wi-Fi/Cellular, US/CA)	A2428	32, 128 GB
10.2" 8th Gen (Wi-Fi/Cellular, Global)	A2429	32, 128 GB
10.2" 8th Gen (Wi-Fi/Cellular, China)	A2430	32, 128 GB
10.2" 9th Gen (Wi-Fi Only)	A2602	32, 256 GB
10.2" 9th Gen (Wi-Fi/Cellular, US/CA)	A2603	32, 256 GB
10.2" 9th Gen (Wi-Fi/Cellular, Global)	A2604	32, 256 GB
10.2" 9th Gen (Wi-Fi/Cellular, China)	A2605	32, 256 GB
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)
4th Gen (Wi-Fi Only)	A2316	64, 256 GB
4th Gen (Wi-Fi+Cell US/CA)	A2324	64, 256 GB
4th Gen (Wi-Fi+Cell Global)	A2072	64, 256 GB
4th Gen (Wi-Fi+Cell China)	A2325	64, 256 GB

Because there are significant differences, EveryiPad.com covers default storage and external storage options for the iPhone, iPad mini, and iPad Pro models separately.

The default internal storage in all of these models cannot be upgraded beyond the amount that was installed at the time of purchase.

External iPad and iPad Air Storage Solutions

If you would like to add storage to your iPad to hold photos and video, it is possible to add an external storage drive to modern iPad models using its Lightning port (on all iPad 4th Gen and newer models and iPad Air, iPad Air 2nd Gen, and iPad Air 3rd Gen models) as well as wirelessly. Because the iPad Air 4th Gen

Best Lightning External iPad Storage

Effectively any external storage that works with the iPhone also will work with Lightning-equipped iPad and iPad Air models. Small storage devices that plug into the Lightning port like the LEEF iBridge 3 and SanDisk iXpand Drive are good options.

Photo Credit: Leef (Left), SanDisk (Right)

Both of these devices use a convenient "wrap around" design and have a USB 3.0 port on one end for use with a "traditional" computer and a Lightning port on the other end to connect it to a Lightning-equipped iPad. Capacity options range between 16 GB and 128 GB for the LEEF and 32 GB and 256 GB for the SanDisk.

Best Wireless External iPad Storage

For the iPhone, it seems logical that you could place particular importance on the physical size of the external storage as you might want to carry it in a pocket along with your iPhone.

For the iPad or iPad Air, though, the physical size of the storage probably is less important to you as you will carry it in a bag along with your tablet, and for this reason, physically larger, but much higher capacity wireless storage might be preferable.

A well regarded high capacity option is the Western Digital My Passport Wireless Pro with up to 4 TB of storage. It is around five inches tall.

Photo Credit: Western Digital

The Western Digital is a powerful option with full fledged Plex Media Server capability for media organization and streaming, but it is more complex to setup and use than the simple "plug in" USB 3.0 options, as well. The Western Digital also has an SD card slot to use with a digital camera and a built-in 6,400 mAh power bank to recharge your iPad, iPad Air, or other portable device while on the go.

Best USB-C External iPad Air 4th Gen Storage

Wireless storage also will work for the iPad Air 4th Gen, but because these devices have a USB-C port, the ideal option is to use directly connected storage. In general, USB-C storage should be straightforward, faster, and more reliable.

Two good options include the small, waterproof SanDisk Extreme Portable External SSD and the physically bigger, but inexpensive Mercury Elite Pro mini or Mercury Elite Pro Dual mini from site sponsor OWC.

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

At about 4 inches by 2 inches and 0.35 of an inch thin, the SanDisk Extreme is tiny and enclosed in a rugged case designed to not only resist dust and water but also survive a drop of up to 2 meters. It is a good option to carry around in a backpack. It is available in capacities ranging from 250 GB to 2 TB.

The OWC Mercury Elite Pro mini and OWC Mercury Elite Pro Dual mini are comparatively hefty, but the single drive option still is compact enough to carry in a bag or backpack without much difficulty. The dual drive option is comparatively heavy and best suited for use in an office.

These OWC Mercury options support faster transfer speeds than the SanDisk Extreme and are available in capacities between 480 GB and 4 TB. You even can just buy either a single or dual drive box and install your own hard drives or SSDs, if you prefer, or upgrade the original storage with higher capacity or faster drives later.

iPad and iPad Air Storage Summary

Whether you use your iPad or iPad Air to listen to music and watch movies or edit your own photos and videos, or both, it seems far too easy to run out of storage space.

However, by adding external Lightning or wireless storage to your iPad or iPad Air, you can eliminate this capacity problem and get much more out of your tablet.