iPhone help: How lengthy do iPhones final?

In case you are pondering of shopping for an older technology or used/refurbished iPhone, or questioning whether or not it’s price upgrading your present iPhone to a brand new one, one vital issue to think about 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. Usually, you may get seven to eight years of security-related software program updates, whereas battery and different repairs are sometimes accessible on 5 to seven-year-old handsets, in line with Apple’s personal Classic and Out of date categorizations.

Learn on to seek out out which iPhones are supported with the newest working methods, and that are supported for servicing and repairs.

Macworld says: the iPhone XS and iPhone 11, and any older iPhone needs to be prevented as can’t run the 2025 iOS replace: iOS 26.

How lengthy does Apple help iOS?

As a normal rule, Apple doesn’t assure that an iOS replace will help units for a specific size of time. Nevertheless, consumers can count on at the very least 5 years of iOS updates, although Apple often goes past that.

With the arrival of iOS 26 the record of supported iPhones modifications once more. The iPhone XS and XR, which had been launched in 2018, will be unable to put in iOS 26.

That doesn’t imply that these iPhones will now not be supported by Apple although. Every so often, Apple points vital safety updates for the present model of iOS in addition to some previous variations.

For that reason, Apple will proceed to offer safety updates for iPhones working iOS 18. On this case it’s unlikely that Apple will concern updates to iOS 17 as a result of when iOS 18 arrived in late 2024 it was appropriate with the identical iPhones as iOS 17 had been (the iPhone XS onwards) Apple may finish help for iOS 17 in favour of iOS 18.. The final replace to iOS 17 was 17.7.2 in November 2024.

We don’t count on that Apple will proceed to help iOS 16 or earlier, however a safety replace to iOS 16 (iOS 16.7.12) and iOS 15 (iOS 15.8.5) was issued on September 15, 2025, the identical day as iOS 26 arrived, so it’s potential that Apple will proceed to help these variations for a short time longer. Whereas iOS 15 is supported the 2014 iPhone 6s will get safety updates. In order that’s greater than a decade of help!

You have to be very cautious if utilizing an iPhone that gained’t obtain these safety fixes for what could possibly be harmful vulnerabilities. Since we are able to solely assure that iOS 18 help will proceed we’d advocate that you must substitute your iPhone if it could possibly’t run iOS 18, which incorporates the iPhones X, 8 and eight Plus and iPhones 7, 6S, 6S Plus and 1st gen SE.

Which iPhones run every model of iOS?

The chart beneath reveals every model of iOS and the iPhones it ran on. As you may see, in recent times help for brand spanking new iOS variations has stretched again for round six years, whereas, when you embrace the variations that Apple helps with safety updates, the quilt goes again an extra 12 months.

Foundry

iPhone OS historical past

The primary iPhone, which launched in 2007, was in a position to 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 in a position to run iOS 4.0, which was itself supported till 2011. The iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS are thought-about out of date by Apple.

The size of help elevated with the launch of the iPhone 4s in 2011. That cellphone was in a position to run working methods 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-about 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-about 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-about 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-about out of date by Apple as a result of the identical telephones can run iOS 15. The iPhone 6s is already thought-about ‘classic’ by Apple.

iOS 16, which arrived in September 2022 runs on all iPhones from the iPhone 8 onwards – however do be aware 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 are caught with iOS 16.

iOS 18 arrived on September 16, 2024, and, like iOS 17, runs on all iPhones from the iPhone XS onwards. (The identical telephones as iOS 17).

iOS 26 arrived in September 2025 and can run on all iPhones from the iPhone 11 onwards. Leaving the iPhone Xs and iPhone XR out within the chilly.

What’s the oldest iPhone nonetheless supported by Apple?

On the time of writing, the oldest model of iOS supported with safety updates is iOS 15, due to the iOS 15 replace in August 2025, meaning the oldest iPhones ‘supported’ by Apple is the iPhone 6s. Nevertheless, that handset is already thought-about ‘classic’ by Apple.

Now that iOS 25 has arrived we count on that Apple will cease help for iOS 16 and iOS 15, which suggests the iPhone 8 and iPhone X will now not obtain emergency software program updates.

We don’t advocate the next iPhone fashions as a result of they now not obtain common updates, although some fashions could sometimes get a crucial safety replace:

• iPhone 11 (2019)
• iPhone XR (2018)
• iPhone Xs (2018)
• 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
• iPhone 17 (2025) – Approx 2037

Apple Intelligence: With the arrival of Apple Intelligence AI options and their {hardware} necessities, the older iPhones are more likely to change into out of date quicker.

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 exact 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 “Homeowners of iPhone, iPad, iPod or Mac merchandise could get hold of a service and elements from Apple or Apple service suppliers for 5 years after the product is now not bought.”

The next iPhones are thought-about 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 (not all fashions 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 (discontinued in 2016, classic in 2021, out of date in 2025)
• 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 beneath 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 elements. So you could possibly say that the oldest iPhone nonetheless supported by Apple is the 8GB iPhone 4, however we don’t count on that Apple could have the required elements.

• iPhone 4 8GB (discontinued in 2013, however bought in India till February 2014, more likely to be out of date very quickly)
• iPhone 5 (discontinued September 2013, more likely to change into out of date quickly)
• iPhone 6s (16GB, 64GB, 128GB) (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 needs to be supported by Apple.

You might also have an interest to be taught how lengthy Apple helps Macs and how lengthy Apple helps iPads. We even have guides for getting a damaged iPhone mounted and how a lot Apple product repairs value.

Is your iPhone slipping into obscurity? Discover a nice deal on a brand new iPhone right here or verify the perfect costs beneath and check out our round-up to decide on the Finest iPhone for you.

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