Apple reportedly plans to cut out key services on iPhones running older software

In the consumer tech world, Apple is known for offering extended software support for its devices to keep them secure, where most Apple devices will get at least five years of major OS updates from the launch date. While most users promptly install software updates, some neglect them because their iPhones or Macs continue to work even without a software update. It looks like Apple is taking a drastic step to fix this by forcing users to install a software update on their devices.

Don’t worry if you have missed an update or two, as this won’t affect those users. However, this applies to those users who might not have installed any software updates since they bought the device. With this measure, Apple is forcing users to update their devices to keep them secure and up-to-date. Note that it only applies to those who haven’t updated their device in five years.

So if you bought a device in the last two years and haven’t bothered to install an update, this is not going to affect you. However, we do recommend that users install the latest available software patch to make the device secure and experience the latest features.

Also read | I lived with the iPhone SE (2022) for a week; here’s what I loved and what Apple needs to improve

Which devices will be affected?

If you have an iPhone with iOS 11 (v11.2.6) or an older version of iOS, your device will lose access to features like iMessage, FaceTime, App Store, Apple Maps, Siri, Apple Music, Apple Arcade, Apple TV+, and Fitness+ services.

When it comes to Macs, users who have a Mac running on macOS 10.13-10.13.3 (High Sierra) will not be able to access all the aforementioned features. Apple Watch users who are still on watchOS 4-4.2.3 will also miss out on all the major features. Lastly, Apple TV users who are still on tvOS 11-11.2.6 will face similar consequences.