From September 2026, new App Store submissions must support iOS 13, rising to iOS 15 the following April , but existing apps will not be automatically removed from older devices.
Apple is tightening the rules for iPhone and iPad app submissions, in a change that will matter most to people still using older hardware. According to Apple’s own upcoming-requirements notice, apps uploaded to App Store Connect must target at least iOS 13 from 9 September 2026, before the minimum rises again to iOS 15 in April 2027. That same April deadline also brings a requirement to build with the iOS and iPadOS 27 SDK or later. Reuters-style reporting from The Mac Observer and Apple’s developer pages confirm the timetable.
The practical effect is narrower than it may first appear. Apple is not planning to delete or disable apps that are already installed on a device simply because these deadlines arrive. Instead, the change affects what developers can submit and update through App Store Connect. A device may continue running the version it already has, although access to online services can still depend on whether the app’s developer keeps supporting that release.
The first wave of the rule will exclude some older devices from future updates, including the iPhone 5s, iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, along with the first-generation iPad Air and the iPad mini 2 and 3, all of which stop at iOS 12. By contrast, models such as the iPhone 6s, iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 4 can move to iOS 15, which means they should still be able to meet Apple’s second deadline if users update them in time. That does not guarantee every app will remain available, because individual developers can set stricter minimum versions or rely on hardware features these older devices do not have.
Apple’s rules also make an important distinction between the system a phone or tablet can run and the version an app was built against. The deployment target is the oldest operating system version on which an app is meant to run; the SDK is the toolkit used to build it. Apple’s documentation shows that an app can be compiled with a newer SDK and still be designed to run on an older supported system, provided the developer chooses to allow that. In other words, the April 2027 requirement does not automatically force users to install iOS 27; it sets the development environment and the minimum supported runtime separately.
For anyone relying on an older iPhone or iPad, the most useful step is to check the available software version in Settings, then review the compatibility information on each app’s App Store listing. Apple’s submission guidance and upcoming-requirements page show that the company is aligning App Store policies with newer development tools, but it is not setting a universal cut-off date for existing apps already installed on older devices. For users who mainly keep a spare iPad for reading, kitchen use or smart-home control, that distinction could mean the device remains serviceable for longer than the new submission rules might suggest.
Disclaimer: This content is intended for informational purposes only. Readers are advised to exercise their own judgement, conduct due diligence, or consult a qualified expert before acting on any information provided.
