Apple commits to 5 years of security updates for the iPhone, but that's not the whole story (2024)

FAQs

Apple commits to 5 years of security updates for the iPhone, but that's not the whole story? ›

The law, which went into effect in April, compels companies to define the minimum length of time it will provide security updates for a product. This doesn't necessarily mean that Apple will cap security updates at five years, as it's only a minimum. Apple sometimes pushes security updates to older phones, too.

We now know the minimum amount of years you can expect Apple to support iPhones with software updates. Eli Blumenthal is a senior editor at CNET with a particular focus on covering the latest in the ever-changing worlds of telecom, streaming and sports.

As of June 2024, Apple supports the following versions of its operating systems for bug and security updates: iOS 17, iOS 16 and iOS 15. When iOS 18 launches in September 2024, it is likely that Apple will drop support for iOS 15 and with it support for the iOS iPhones 7, 6S, 6S Plus and 1st gen SE.

While updating your iPhone may seem inconvenient, it's a necessary step to ensure optimal performance, privacy, and security. Neglecting updates can lead to a sluggish phone and potential security risks, making the brief inconvenience of updating well worth the effort.

Every iPhone, iPod, iPad, or any Apple device has several updates over time. The reason they have so many updates is to fix bugs within the device or to upgrade the security on the device.

Until iOS 16, which was released in late 2022, you could still run the latest version of iOS on an iPhone as old as the iPhone 6S. In fact, the iPhone 6S had been the cutoff for devices supporting the latest version of iOS since iOS 13 (see the chart below).

That means the iPhone 15 should receive security updates until at least 2028. Apple typically doesn't say how long an iPhone will receive security updates. Google and Samsung, on the other hand, have both guaranteed seven years of security updates on their newer devices.

When an iPhone becomes obsolete, it means Apple will no longer support it. This means you can't get it repaired and it rarely receives iOS security updates—if ever. This is a big deal as if your iPhone doesn't receive updates, there is no way of keeping it secure.

Is an iPhone 11 still good in 2024? ›

The iPhone 11 remains a viable option in 2024. Its key features, including the A13 Bionic chip, dual-camera system, Retina LCD display and durable design, continue to impress.

Apple is pretty determined that you update. You just have to keep telling it not to update. Avoid saying "later" because then it will just do it while you sleep; ask for details or something like that and then back out of the window sequence from there. In once case I had to shut down my phone and start it again.

You can restore an iPhone without updating by putting it into Recovery Mode, connecting it to your computer, and using Restore iPhone in Finder or iTunes. If you have an iPhone backup on your computer, you can also avoid an update by restoring from the most recent backup.

iOS updates generally aim to enhance user experience, boost security, and fix bugs rather than disrupt core features.

Get the latest software updates from Apple

Keeping your software up to date is one of the most important things you can do to maintain your Apple product's security. The latest version of iOS and iPadOS is 17.6.1. Learn how to update the software on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.

The security updates fix these flaws and bugs to make it harder for hackers to access your device. It is, therefore, very important to make sure that your phone and its data is protected by updating your phone whenever an update is available.

When an iPhone becomes obsolete, it means Apple will no longer support it. This means you can't get it repaired and it rarely receives iOS security updates—if ever. This is a big deal as if your iPhone doesn't receive updates, there is no way of keeping it secure.

With the release of iOS 17, there are three more iPhone models that won't run Apple's latest mobile operating system: iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X. Apple stopped providing feature upgrades for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 7 series with the release of iOS 16 last year.

This means that while Apple guarantees five years of updates, it often extends support well beyond this period. For example, many older iPhones have received updates for more than five years, highlighting Apple's dedication to long-term device support.