How lengthy does Apple help iPhones?

If you’re considering of shopping for an older era or used/refurbished iPhone, or questioning whether or not it’s price upgrading your present iPhone to a brand new one, one essential issue to contemplate is how lengthy Apple will proceed to supply help for that handset. The excellent news is that Apple helps iPhones for a very long time. Typically, you’ll get seven to eight years of software program updates, whereas battery and different repairs are sometimes out there on 5 to seven-year-old handsets, in keeping with Apple’s personal Classic and Out of date categorizations.

Learn on to search out out which iPhones are supported with the most recent working techniques, and that are supported for servicing and repairs. We even have guides for getting a damaged iPhone mounted and how a lot Apple product repairs price.

How lengthy does Apple help iOS?

As a normal rule, Apple doesn’t assure that an iOS replace will help units for a selected size of time. Nonetheless, consumers can count on a minimum of 5 years of iOS updates and 6 years of safety updates, although Apple often goes past that.

When iOS 18 arrived in late 2024 it was suitable with the identical iPhones as iOS 17 had been (as you’ll be able to see from the desk under). Nonetheless, we count on the 2018 iPhone XS and XR to be incompatible with iOS 19 when it arrives in late 2025. This may imply these telephones had seven years of iOS updates, which isn’t dangerous going.

Occasionally, Apple points essential safety updates for the present model of iOS in addition to, normally, the 2 previous variations. At the moment it seems Apple is targeted solely on iOS 18 and iOS 17, although. Because the arrival of iOS 18 in September 2024, safety updates have been issued for each iOS 18 and iOS 17: the final replace to iOS 17 was 17.7.2 on November 19. The final replace to iOS 16 was 16.7.10 on August 7, 2024, which means that there is not going to be safety updates for that model and the telephones it helps (2017’s iPhone 8, 8 Plus and iPhone X).

Which means that some iPhones is not going to get Apple’s safety fixes for what could possibly be harmful vulnerabilities. As soon as your telephone falls in that class it’s in all probability time to switch it.

The chart under exhibits every model of iOS and the iPhones it ran on. As you’ll be able to see, lately help for brand new iOS variations has stretched again for round six years, whereas, should you embody the variations that Apple helps with safety updates, the duvet goes again an extra 12 months.

Foundry

iPhone OS historical past

The primary iPhone, which launched in 2007, was capable of run iPhone OS 3, which was supported by Apple up till 2010. The iPhone is taken into account out of date by Apple.

The iPhone 3G, which launched in 2008, was capable of run iOS 4.0, which was itself supported till 2011. The iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS are thought of out of date by Apple.

The size of help elevated with the launch of the iPhone 4s in 2011. That telephone was capable of run working techniques all the best way as much as iOS 9. Apple was nonetheless supporting iOS 9 in 2019 when it issued a GPS-related replace that July. The iPhones 4 and 4s are thought of out of date by Apple.

The iPhone 5c runs iOS 10, which additionally obtained the GPS-related replace in July 2019. The iPhones 5 and 5c are thought of out of date by Apple.

The iPhone 5s and iPhone 6 each run iOS 12, for which Apple issued a safety replace in January 2023. This replace was issued for these few units that don’t help iOS 15. Apple is unlikely to proceed help for iOS 12. These telephones are thought of classic by Apple.

iOS 15, which arrived in September 2021, helps all iPhones from iPhone 6s onwards, simply as with iOS 14 and iOS 13. Each iOS 14 and 13 are thought of out of date by Apple as a result of the identical telephones can run iOS 15. The iPhone 6s is already thought of classic by Apple.

iOS 16, which arrived in September 2022 runs on all iPhones from the iPhone 8 onwards – however do word that not all options can be found on the older handsets.

iOS 17 arrived in September 2023 and runs on all iPhones from the iPhone XS onwards – which means the iPhone X and iPhone 8 can be caught with iOS 16.

iOS 18 arrives on September 16, 2024, and, like iOS 17, will run on all iPhones from the iPhone XS onwards.

What’s the oldest iPhone nonetheless supported?

Because the oldest model of iOS supported with common safety updates is iOS 17, the oldest iPhones supported by Apple would be the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR. These telephones had been all launched in 2018.

Which means the next iPhone fashions will not obtain common updates, although some fashions might sometimes get a crucial safety replace:

• iPhone X (2017)
• iPhone 8/8 Plus (2017)
• iPhone 7/7 Plus (2016)
• iPhone SE (2016)
• iPhone 6s/6s Plus (2014)
• iPhone 6/6 Plus (2014)
• iPhone 5s (2013)
• iPhone 5c (2013)
• iPhone 5 (2012)
• iPhone 4s (2011)
• iPhone 4 (2010)
• iPhone 3GS (2009)
• iPhone 3G (2008)
• iPhone (2007)

For extra info, see our record of each model of iOS.

IDG

When will Apple cease supporting every iPhone?

Reality is we don’t know for positive, however on the premise that Apple helps telephones for 5 to seven years after they’re faraway from sale:

• iPhone XS (2018-2019) – Approx 2024-2026
• iPhone XR (2018-2021) – Approx 2026-2028
• iPhone 11 (2019-2022) – Approx 2027-2029
• iPhone SE2 (2020-2022) – Approx 2027-2029
• iPhone 12 (2020-2023) – Approx 2028-2030
• iPhone 13 (2021) – Approx 2032
• iPhone SE3 (2022) – Approx 2033
• iPhone 14 (2022) – Approx 2034
• iPhone 15 (2023) – Approx 2035
• iPhone 16 (2024) – Approx 2036

Apple Intelligence: It’s doable that the arrival of Apple Intelligence AI options and their requirement will imply that the older iPhones change into out of date sooner.

When does Apple cease fixing iPhones?

In the case of repairs, Apple helps iPhones (and all units it makes) for seven years from the final time it bought that specific mannequin. So so long as your iPhone was nonetheless being bought by Apple as much as seven years in the past, the corporate or a third-party service supplier will nonetheless service it.

Apple states on its web site that “House owners of iPhone, iPad, iPod or Mac merchandise might get hold of a service and components from Apple or Apple service suppliers for 5 years after the product is not bought.” The next iPhones are thought of Out of date, which suggests gross sales had been discontinued greater than seven years in the past and Apple has now discontinued all {hardware} servicing.

• iPhone
• iPhone 3G
• iPhone 3GS
• iPhone 4 (sure fashions at the moment are out of date)
• iPhone 4s
• iPhone 5c (discontinued September 2013, out of date in 2021)
• iPhone 5S (discontinued in 2016, classic in 2021, out of date in 2024)
• iPhone 6 Plus (discontinued in 2016, classic in 2021, out of date in 2024)
• iPhone 6s (32GB) (discontinued in 2018, out of date in 2024)
• iPhone 6s Plus (32GB) (discontinued in 2018, out of date in 2024)

And the iPhones under are listed as Classic, which suggests they haven’t been bought for greater than 5 years (however lower than seven years). Apple will nonetheless service these merchandise so long as it has the required components.

• iPhone 4 8GB (discontinued in 2013, however bought in India till February 2014, prone to be out of date very quickly)
• iPhone 5 (discontinued September 2013, prone to change into out of date quickly)
• iPhone 6 (discontinued in 2016, classic in 2021)
• iPhone 6s (16GB) (discontinued in 2016, classic in 2022)
• iPhone 6s Plus (16GB) (discontinued in 2018, classic in 2022)
• iPhone SE, 2016 (discontinued in 2018, classic in 2023)
• iPhone 8 (discontinued in 2020, classic in 2024)
• iPhone 8 Plus (discontinued in 2020, classic in 2024)
• iPhone X (discontinued in 2018, classic in 2024)
• iPhone XS Max (discontinued in 2018, classic in 2024)

All iPhones that adopted these handsets ought to be supported by Apple.

You might also have an interest to study how lengthy Apple helps Macs and how lengthy Apple helps iPads.

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