What Happens When iOS Updates Stop for Your iPhone
Apple drops support for millions of devices each year. The consequences don’t all show up at the same time though - they show up bit by bit as time goes on. Security vulnerabilities become more of a concern, apps you use most start to lose functionality or stop working altogether and new features won’t make it to your device at all. Even with these drawbacks though, the phone in your hand can still make calls, send text messages and take care of most of your everyday tasks pretty well.
Your next move is going to depend quite a bit on how you actually use your iPhone day-to-day and on what security dangers you’re comfortable with. Once Apple stops sending updates to a device, it’s not like the phone just dies immediately or turns useless overnight. But you have some months of reliable use ahead of you at this point - definitely not years. Most iPhone owners in this situation will want to upgrade pretty soon, and others can probably stick with their phone for a while longer. What matters most is to know what changes when those updates stop coming and then to figure out if those changes affect what you do most with your phone. When you know that, the choice gets much easier.
Let’s talk about what this actually means for your device and how to stay prepared!
Security Gaps Get Wider Over Time
Once Apple stops releasing iOS updates for a particular iPhone model, security is probably going to be your biggest worry. Hackers love to go after older iOS versions because they know Apple won’t be patching vulnerabilities like that anymore. As more time passes, devices that are on outdated software become easier and easier targets for all kinds of attacks.
Attacks like Pegasus spyware and the CheckM8 exploit have gone after older iPhones that had stopped receiving security updates from Apple. Users had their phones compromised because the vulnerabilities were just sitting there unpatched and available for exploitation. A lot of iPhone owners were affected by these attacks.
Your phone won’t get hacked the day after you skip an update - the timeline doesn’t quite work like that. New security flaws get found and shared online all of the time and the danger builds up slowly over time.
Apple will release emergency security patches for older devices on occasion. But this only happens when there’s a real threat that puts millions of users in danger. These emergency updates do happen and they can give your device strong protection when Apple determines that the situation calls for immediate action. You can’t count on them for everyday protection, though. Apple releases these updates rarely and reserves them for only the most dangerous security threats that can compromise massive numbers of devices.
Every month that passes, your device gets a little bit less safe than it was before. Hackers and security researchers keep finding new exploits in older software, and they always find creative ways to attack weaknesses that are already well-documented. An iPhone that lost its update support last year is facing many more security threats now than it was back when Apple first dropped support for it. That security gap just gets wider month after month.
Apps Stop Working on Your Device
Your apps aren’t going to disappear the second Apple stops sending updates to your iPhone. What actually happens is a lot more gradual - they’ll continue to work just fine at the start. But over the course of months or years, compatibility problems start to creep in as developers release newer app versions that need features that your older iOS version just doesn’t support.
The upside is that most of your main apps will continue to work on your older iOS version for at least a couple of years after Apple stops sending you updates. Apps like WhatsApp and Instagram will usually support older systems for about 2 to 3 years before they drop support completely. Your banking apps usually follow a similar timeline, and it can be pretty frustrating. But at least it gives you some breathing room to work out your next move.
It doesn’t all happen at once - the decline is actually pretty gradual. One of the first features to go is access to new features. Developers might release cool updates and new capabilities to newer models. But your phone just won’t receive them anymore. Then the bug fixes eventually stop arriving as well. If something starts to break or act a little weird on your device, it’s probably going to stay that way because the manufacturer isn’t releasing fixes for your model anymore.
Over time the app will just stop opening altogether. WhatsApp actually did this back in 2021 when they ended support for iOS 9. Anyone who was still on that older version suddenly found themselves locked out of their account, and a lot of users had no idea that it was even coming.
The upside is that this decline happens slowly, so you’ll have some breathing room once your final iOS update arrives. You won’t have an immediate deadline or anything like that. Even so, the clock does start after that point, and with each passing year, more of your apps will stop working on your device. App developers have to stay up to date with the latest operating systems if they want to give better features and make sure that their security protections stay as strong as possible for everyone who uses their apps.
When Your iPhone Will Lose Support
Apple made the call to drop support for the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus when iOS 16 was released. The original iPhone SE also stopped receiving updates at that same time. All three of these models had been receiving software updates for quite a few years before Apple eventually decided it was time to move on and support newer devices.
The iPhone 7 and 7 Plus are probably the next in line to lose support. Apple has always been fairly predictable about this - they usually phase out their older models right around the time when a new iOS version drops. On average, most iPhones will continue to receive software updates for about 5 to 7 years after they first launch. With that timeline in mind, you should have a decent window to figure out when you’ll need to make your next upgrade.
Apple tends to drop support for about two or three iPhone models every year. The easiest way to estimate when your particular model might stop receiving updates is to take the year that it was released and add between 5 and 7 years. An iPhone from 2019 will most likely receive its final software update somewhere in the 2025 to 2026 window.
How much life your phone has left will depend on when you originally bought it. Phones that were purchased within the last couple of years will probably still get software updates for at least another year or two, maybe more. Devices from 2016 or earlier have already been sitting outside of the Apple support window for quite some time at this point. Apple announces which models will continue to get updates each fall along with which models are reaching the end of the line.
Why Your iPhone Runs Better Without Updates
Apple writes each new iOS version to make full use of the latest hardware capabilities available in their newest devices. Older iPhone models just weren’t built with those same internal parts, so there’s a mismatch between what the software expects and what the hardware has.
After your phone stops receiving updates, it gets locked on whatever iOS version it was last running. That particular version of iOS was built and released much closer to when your phone model first came out. What that means is that the software on your device won’t be trying to run features that need processors, cameras or sensors that weren’t even around yet when your iPhone was made. Everything stays matched with the hardware you have. A newer iOS version might demand capabilities that your older hardware just can’t deliver. But an older iOS version works within the limits of what your phone was built for from the start.
iPhone 6 owners saw this firsthand when iOS 12 became the final update that was available for their model. Plenty of them reported that their phones actually felt smoother and more responsive during everyday use. Battery life even improved for a decent number of users. The reason made sense - their phones weren’t straining all of the time anymore to handle an iOS build that kept piling on features designed for whatever new models Apple had just released.
Your phone does speed up after a downgrade, and yes, that performance improvement is legitimate. It won’t last forever. But the reason that everything feels much quicker right from the start is pretty simple. The older software wasn’t built to support the extra features that newer hardware is built for. When the software version matches your phone generation, everything runs the way it was originally intended to - without all that strain from features that your device can’t support anyway.
Once Apple stops sending out updates to your particular model, those performance gains will usually hang around for at least a year or two after that point. Your apps are going to continue to work the way they’re supposed to, and you’ll be able to use your phone as normal without any big slowdowns from the iOS software itself.
How to Keep Your Old iPhone Working
An iPhone that no longer gets iOS updates has plenty of life left in it if you switch up how you use apps. The native apps on the phone are going to want newer software in order to work. Web versions of the same services can fill in that gap just fine. Facebook is a solid example of this - the mobile website works great in Safari without any need for the dedicated app. Gmail works the same way, as do most other email providers when you access them through a browser.
App makers will sometimes release lighter versions of their apps that run smoother on older devices or on a slower connection. Lite apps use way less memory and processing power, so they’ll usually work just fine on phones that can’t take care of the full version. Searching for “lite” versions in the App Store will probably turn up options for some of the apps you use all of the time.
Turn off automatic app updates in your settings too. This will stop your existing apps from moving to newer versions that might not work as well with your older iOS. An app that already works fine for you should be left alone instead of letting it update to a version that could cause problems.
A few simple adjustments like these will keep the main features on your phone working well for quite a bit longer. Your email is going to work just fine and you’ll still be able to check social media and use most of the apps and services you need all of the time. A lot of iPhone users have been able to add an extra year or two of life to their phone (and sometimes even more than that) before they actually need to go out and replace it.
Just remember - these workarounds will only get you so far. Eventually apps will drop support for your browser, or they’ll need features that your phone just doesn’t have. Security turns into a bigger problem as the months pass by too. Even if you’re not all that worried about online security, these tricks will probably only buy you a year or two at most before everything starts to break down completely.
Trade Your Old Phone for Cash Today
A slow countdown does start when you lose support though and the timeline is going to look a bit different based on how you use your phone. The type who mainly sticks to calls, texts and basic web browsing could probably squeeze out another year or two without too many problems. Bank apps, social media and most services that need up-to-date security features are going to cut into that timeline pretty fast though. Your best bet is to take an honest look at what you actually need from your phone on a day-to-day basis and to watch for any warning signs that might tell you when your device is starting to fall behind.
It’s a choice you can make on your own terms, well before the app that you love doesn’t open one day. Control over the process makes the whole experience feel way less stressful and fortunately you have more of it.
Your old iPhone probably isn’t doing much in a drawer and at ecoATM, we make it easy to turn that device into cash. We have over 6,000 kiosks across the country and each one can review your phone right there as you wait. The whole thing takes a few minutes and you’ll leave with either cash in your pocket or a payment sent to you on the same day (perfect if you’re already planning for your next upgrade). Find a kiosk near you and get a quote on what your phone is worth!
