Low-Cost iPad and iPod Touch Are Last iOS Devices With Headphone Jack as iPad Mini 6 Drops Support

Apple is continuing to phase out the headphone jack from its iOS devices, and the iPad mini 6 is the latest iPad to see the feature removed.

iPad mini 6 orange BG
The prior-generation ‌iPad mini‌ 5, released in 2019, had a headphone jack located at the top of the device, but the ‌iPad mini‌ 6 does not include this feature. With no headphone jack, the ‌iPad mini‌ 6 supports only Bluetooth-enabled headphones or headphones able to connect to the USB-C port on the device.

ipad mini 6 components

‌iPad mini‌ 6 components

Apple has now removed the headphone jack from all of the devices in its iOS lineups with the exception of the low-cost ‌iPad‌ and the iPod touch, a device that's likely being phased out and sees few updates.

The 10.2-inch iPad 9 that was released last week continues to offer a headphone jack at the top left of the tablet, and it is the only ‌iPad‌ have to a headphone jack available. Given that this tablet is aimed at schools, it makes sense that it has a headphone jack to allow students to use school-provided headphones.

ipad 9 headphone jack

‌iPad‌ 9 components

Though Apple has now phased out the headphone jack from almost all iOS devices, Apple's Macs continue to have a headphone jack available, including the newest M1 models. It is not clear if Apple plans to remove the headphone jack from Macs in the future, but that may not be in the cards because Macs have more available space for the headphone jack component.

Apple began removing the headphone jack from iPhones with the launch of the iPhone 7, and it was pulled to make room for other components as well as to improve water resistance by removing a point of ingress. Apple's iPhones and iPads have continued getting thinner, more compact, and more feature rich over the years, leaving no space for a headphone jack. With the transition to AirPods and other Bluetooth-based wire-free headphones, the headphone jack is also no longer as important to many iOS device users.

Related Roundup: iPad mini
Buyer's Guide: iPad Mini (Buy Now)
Related Forum: iPad

Popular Stories

maxresdefault

Apple Releases iOS 18.4 With Priority Notifications, Ambient Music, New Emoji and More

Monday March 31, 2025 10:03 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4, the fourth major updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating system updates that came out last year. iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 come two months after Apple released iOS 18.3 and iPadOS 18.3. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to...
iOS 19 Mock WWDC25 Feature

iOS 19 Expected to Run on These iPhones

Monday March 31, 2025 5:28 pm PDT by
iOS 19 will not be available on the iPhone XR, iPhone XS, or the iPhone XS Max, according a private account on social media site X that has accurately provided information on device compatibility in the past. The iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max all have an A12 Bionic chip, so it looks like iOS 19 will discontinue support for that chip. All other iPhones that run iOS 18 are expected...
iPhone 17 Pro 34ths Perspective

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 10 New Features

Sunday March 23, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of March 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4

Monday March 31, 2025 11:27 am PDT by
Apple today released new firmware updates for all AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 2 models. The new firmware is version 7E93, up from the 7B21 firmware that was installed on the AirPods Pro 2 and the 7B20 firmware available on the AirPods 4 and AirPods 4 with ANC. It is not immediately clear what new features or changes are included in the new firmware, but we'll update this article should we find ...
top stories 2025 03 29

Top Stories: WWDC 2025 Announced, iPhone 17 Pro and iOS 19 Rumors, and More

Saturday March 29, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
Apple's big developer event is a little over two months away, and rumors about what we can expect to see in Apple's next major operating system updates are becoming increasingly frequent. A public release of iOS 18.4 is also imminent with a number of updates and improvements, although we won't be getting the major Apple Intelligence Siri upgrades that had reportedly been planned for this...
iOS 19 visionOS UI Elements

Apple Codename Provides Clue About iOS 19's Rumored New Design

Sunday March 30, 2025 6:40 am PDT by
Multiple sources have claimed that iOS 19 will introduce a new design with more translucent buttons, menus, notification banners, and more, and there is now another clue that points towards this glass-like appearance. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today said the new design project is codenamed "Solarium" internally. A solarium is a room with glass walls that allow in plenty of sunlight, so this...
macOS Sequoia Feature

Apple Releases macOS Sequoia 15.4 With Mail Categorization and More

Monday March 31, 2025 10:04 am PDT by
Apple today released macOS Sequoia 15.4, the fourth major update to the macOS Sequoia operating system that launched in September. macOS Sequoia 15.4 comes two months after the launch of macOS Sequoia 15.3. Mac users can download the ‌‌macOS Sequoia‌‌ update through the Software Update section of System Settings. It is available for free on all Macs able to run macOS 15. With...
Magic Mouse Green

What to Expect From the Magic Mouse 3

Saturday March 29, 2025 10:15 am PDT by
Apple is reportedly working on a new Magic Mouse. Below, we recap what to expect. The two key rumors for the Magic Mouse 3 so far include a relocated charging port, along with a more ergonomic design. It was briefly rumored that the Magic Mouse 3 would also feature voice control, but that was misinterpreted information. Relocated Charging Port While the Magic Mouse switched from...

Top Rated Comments

HackMacDaddy Avatar
46 months ago
I use headphone jacks for work aswell as for private entertainment. It's an unnecessary stupidity to get rid of it when there is no apparent need to. I am stuck in a dilemma where the "new design iPads" have no jack but lef-right stereo speakers, but the basic iPad has the jack but the mono sound. Why cant I have both Apple?
Score: 31 Votes (Like | Disagree)
guzhogi Avatar
46 months ago
I prefer wearing headphones, and wired ones at that. I don't have to worry about charging them, plus I can have higher quality audio with wired vs wireless.

Something I'd like to know: Which Apple headphones (or any headphones, really) support all of Apple's new audio features (spatial audio, lossless, etc.)?
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
albert421 Avatar
46 months ago
I personally think it is ok removing it from iPhone since you need to space. But why can't apple keep it on the iPad :/
They for sure have space on the iPad for a headphone jack.
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
WiiDSmoker Avatar
46 months ago

I personally think it is ok removing it from iPhone since you need to space. But why can't apple keep it on the iPad :/
They for sure have space on the iPad for a headphone jack.
Because “courage”.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MacDavo Avatar
46 months ago
Overall the lack of a headphone jack is a major annoyance made worse by USB C.

A heavy reliance on AirPods means they’re often not charged when you need them. Try doing a day of back to back virtual meetings and you’ll know what I mean.

If you want to use a set of high end studio headphones you need a USB C dongle to plug them in.

If you use an iRig for virtual amps you need a USB C dongle to plug it in.

If you need to avoid Bluetooth lag when screen capturing, you need a USB C dongle to plug it in.

Half the reason MacBook Pros haven’t been that Pro the last couple of years is looking like an amateur when you turn up to present and the USB HDMI dongle you have doesn’t work with the projector or TV you need to plug into.

No wonder Surface Pro’s and Thinkpads sell so well to business. They just work, HDMI and headphone ports built right in.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sdreamer07 Avatar
46 months ago
Let's remove the adapter because of the environment. Let's force customers to spend oodles of money on bluetooth headphones that do not have user replaceable batteries and just end up in land fillds. Hmmm... Apple, what's the message here? bizzness.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)