Eatsy iPad Menu runs on any iPad capable of installing iPadOS 16 or newer. That covers iPads from roughly 2018 forward. We don’t sell iPads: bring your own or buy what fits your budget.
Minimum requirement
iPadOS 16 or higher is the floor. Apple ships iPadOS updates each fall; iPadOS 16 was released September 2022 and runs on every iPad released since 2017.
Compatible models
| iPad family | Model years | Min. iPadOS | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| iPad (entry-level) | 6th gen (2018) and later | iPadOS 16+ | Supported |
| iPad Air | 3rd gen (2019) and later | iPadOS 16+ | Supported |
| iPad Mini | 5th gen (2019) and later | iPadOS 16+ | Supported |
| iPad Pro 9.7” / 10.5” | 2017 (1st gen 9.7”, 2nd gen 10.5”) | iPadOS 16+ | Supported |
| iPad Pro 11” / 12.9” | 2018 (3rd gen) and later | iPadOS 16+ | Supported |
| iPad (5th gen and earlier) | 2017 and earlier | Stuck on iPadOS 15 or older | Not supported |
| iPad Air 1 / Air 2 | 2014 / 2014 | iOS 12 max | Not supported |
| iPad Mini 1–4 | 2012–2015 | iOS 9–14 max | Not supported |
| Original iPad Pro 12.9” | 2015 (1st gen) | iPadOS 15 max | Not supported |
Recommended buys by use case
Single-counter operation, budget-conscious: iPad (10th gen, 2022), $349 new from Apple, $250–280 refurbished. Plenty fast for ordering, 10.9” screen, USB-C. Most operators start here.
Self-order kiosk, public-facing: iPad (10th gen, 2022) on a floor-standing kiosk mount. The kiosk mount is more important than the iPad model. Budget $349 for the iPad plus $200 for the kiosk mount: $549 per kiosk station.
Premium counter, faster screen response: iPad Air (5th gen, 2022 with M1 chip), $599. Marginally faster than the standard iPad. Worth it if you’ll have 3+ stations all running simultaneously, otherwise the standard iPad is fine.
Mobile use (servers walking with iPads, food trucks): iPad Mini (6th gen, 2021), $499. Smaller screen (8.3”), one-handed friendly, fits in apron pockets.
Multi-tasker dashboard for owner/manager: iPad Pro 11” or 12.9”, $799–1099. Bigger screen for monitoring multiple locations at once. Overkill for a single counter, useful for an owner overseeing several stores from a back office.
Refurbished is fine
Apple Certified Refurbished iPads are 15–25% off retail with full warranty. Amazon Renewed and Back Market also work. Avoid Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace if you can’t verify the device hasn’t been jailbroken or activation-locked.
What we don’t support (and why)
- Android tablets: Eatsy iPad Menu is an iPad app. We don’t have an Android counterpart in production. The Branded App is iOS + Android; the operator-facing iPad Menu app is iPad-only.
- iPads on iPadOS 15 or older: Apple stopped supporting iPadOS 15 with security updates. Running production payment-handling on outdated iPadOS is a security issue.
- Jailbroken iPads: security and reliability concerns.
Tip. If you’re buying multiple iPads for a single store, get the same model and iPadOS version on all of them. It saves training time and makes troubleshooting much faster.
