Apple has a good record of still supporting older devices with software. Now, however, support for iPhones running an older iOS version is to be discontinued.
No manufacturer has been providing its smartphones with OS updates for as long as Apple. The record holder is the iPhone 6s, which has received new iOS versions for more than seven years. Apple is even more generous with its own apps and services. Even on the iPhone 3GS iMessage still runs, the iPhone 4 can access Apple Maps – while other apps like YouTube have long since been discontinued. However, there are now increasing indications that the company is discontinuing support for certain iOS versions. TECHBOOK explains whether older iPhones lose access to Apple services as a result.
No more Apple services without an update
Last month, Apple released a new support article that ominously explains what to do “If you receive a notification that your software version no longer supports certain Apple services.” So far it was not clear why the company created this article in the first place. The well-known leaker account StellaFudge has now posted new information on Twitter that provides an answer to this question.
Accordingly, all iPhones running iOS 11 to iOS 11.2.6 will no longer have access to Apple services from the beginning of May. This includes the App Store and Apple Maps, but also Siri. Apparently the only exception to this is iCloud. The leak also indicates that affected users should receive a notification – with a request to install an update. It’s pretty clear that this means the notification from Apple’s support document. Because he explicitly mentions: “Some older software versions no longer support Apple services such as the App Store, Siri or Maps. Update your software to the latest version available to continue using these services.”
It is not clear why precisely these versions of iOS 11 should no longer be compatible with Apple services. However, it is possible that there are serious security gaps and that Apple therefore wants to force users to update. TECHBOOK has reached out to Apple for comment. If we receive an answer, we will adjust the article accordingly.
Also read: Siri gets practical new function with iOS 16.5
What does this mean for owners of older iPhones?
Even if it sounds as if older iPhones still running iOS 11 will lose access to Apple services, those affected have nothing to fear. Because all iPhones (and iPads) that are still running iOS 11 to iOS 11.2.6 can update to a newer iOS version:
- iOS 12.5.7 for iPhone 5 and iPhone 6/6 Plus
- iOS 15.7.3 for iPhone 6s / 6s Plus, iPhone SE (2016) and iPhone 7 / 7 Plus
According to Apple, iPhones with iOS 14 or older only do 8 percent of all devices out of. But there the current quarterly figures according to the fact that there are now more than two billion active Apple devices in circulation, the majority of them iPhones, it is still in the tens of millions.
Owners of even older iPhones don’t have to worry, because apart from iOS 11, no other versions are affected. Even newer versions of iOS 11 (11.3 to 11.4.1) will continue to support Apple services for the foreseeable future.