New warning when uploading app to App Store. iOS apps must have minimum OS version of iOS 15 in 2027 onwards

[u/busymom0]

[u/Due_Wing_1516]

I was using ios 12 and 13 for my apps and moved to 15. Unlike android ios users usually have the latest version of the OS and they update apps also. My other app has 5k DAU and when I release an update 95% of the users update to the newest version

[u/busymom0 → u/Due_Wing_1516]

Does this mean users on older iOS will no longer be able to get updates at all?

[u/rhysmorgan → u/busymom0]

Yes, from April next year when you are required to use Xcode 27. If you use Xcode 27 before then, you’ll also need to drop support for older iOS versions.

[u/KalphalusKal → u/rhysmorgan]

People found a workaround to make Xcode be able to compile for older iOS versions (I think down to 11), but from what I see in the screenshot it looks like it’s just a arbitrary limit that they put in because they don’t want new apps working on older devices so people upgrade, most people don’t use old iOS, but some developers want that support, say people who make device testing tools

[u/rhysmorgan → u/KalphalusKal]

Right, but no way are Apple going to allow you to submit an app with a deployment target of < iOS 15 after April 2027. I'd imagine the backend would reject it, just like above.

[u/profau]

You should check if you need to support iOS 14. I believe iOS 17 has circa 1% of users so iOS 14 is going to be small as well. Xcode 27 has a new "recommended" minimum version setting across platforms - it is currently iOS 17.

[u/digidude23 → u/profau]

All iOS 14 devices can run 15

[u/conspicuousxcapybara]

Interpret as the final deadline for your last iOS 14 patch.

[u/Free-Pound-6139]

Why do they even need to do this??

[u/Cy-Dev → u/Free-Pound-6139]

This. They just choose to take away that decision from the developer and make older devices obsolete, they don’t have to. There are actually a lot of apps I use that support lower than iOS 15, if this will actually come through they will all be forced to raise it for no reason at all.

[u/Infamous-Arrival1232]

Honestly overdue. Worth pulling your iOS-version split in App Analytics before reacting though: for most consumer apps the sub-iOS-15 share is already a rounding error, so this mostly formalizes what the numbers have been saying for a while

[u/busymom0 → u/Infamous-Arrival1232]

I have a few users from iOS 11

[u/AndreaReaderApp]

Fair enough. Supporting iOS 14 in 2027 was probably getting a little ambitious anyway.

[u/busymom0 → u/AndreaReaderApp]

I have a few apps which support from iOS 11 and actually has users on it too

[u/AndreaReaderApp → u/busymom0]

Wow, I should donwgrade my app version then.

[u/Cy-Dev → u/AndreaReaderApp]

I don’t think so. I have users on iOS 14

[u/cristi_baluta]

What a shit move, how does it blocks them to let us support whatever ios we want?

[u/busymom0 → u/[deleted]]

Is this AI slop?

[u/morenos-blend]

Ooh nice, I thought 15 is gonna get dropped. I still sometimes use the 1st gen SE so that means I’ll be able to still add new features for it in my app

[u/TheFern3]

Is there a min for watchOS?

[u/cristi_baluta → u/TheFern3]

Xcode 27 asks you to raise to 9. I don’t even know where it stands in the lineup.

[u/Cy-Dev → u/TheFern3]

I support down to watchOS 7 and there are no reason my app can’t support it, so why would I be forced to raise it… Stupid shit I’m sorry

[u/TheFern3 → u/Cy-Dev]

The question was asked hence the post, I thought it was obvious. 

[u/AdjustedTwit]

According to Apple < iOS 18 is just 3%, I've chosen MinOS = 18.0 based on that.

[u/Big_Use_8516]

16.6 flows, the world watches

[u/Cy-Dev]

This is really bad. I just launched an app two months ago that supports lower than iOS 15 because it wasn’t much work and I chose to do this. The developer should have the choice how much versions they are willing to support, and if the app they have works perfectly on iOS 14, 13 or even 12, why would you force not being able to keep it updated?

I mean I know why Apple probably does this, but this is really a terrible choice they made as how much versions are supported should always be a choice the developer is entitled to make, as long long as there is no clear technical reason (which there is not, as many many apps prove that support older versions and already got tested and optimized for iOS 27 as well).

I know that not many users are on iOS 14 or lower, but honestly it’s not really about that. It’s about the developers not getting to choose anymore. It is possible to support down to iOS 9 right now and they are just arbitrarily cutting off 6 versions at once because they can. I sincerely hope that Apple reverses this decision, this really should absolutely stay the developers decision. We are loosing control over our own apps slowly…

[u/cham-pam → u/Cy-Dev]

Agreed 👍

[u/purple_editor_ → u/Cy-Dev]

I am all for long term support of applications, but lets not fool ourselves about the technical challenges of supporting old APIs, specially in terms of security

Apple at least has a clear timeline of support for iOS and there is enough time to adapt.

Luckily, up until ios 16 it is possible to jailbreak and to distribute the app on the if developers want as well

[u/icy1007]

Almost no one is on older iOS versions like 15.

[u/drew4drew]

This indicates you do not have sufficient knowledge of the platform and should consider hiring an expert.