iOS 16 Compatible Devices: iPhone 7, iPhone 6S and iPhone SE 2016 Won’t Get It

The time has come for Apple to stop supporting the iPhone 6S, iPhone SE and iPhone 7 with new updates to its iOS software. 

On Monday, Apple took the wraps off iOS 16, the next major version of its iPhone software, during the kickoff to WWDC 2022, the company’s annual developer conference. The latest update adds new features including the ability to edit messages you already sent in the Messages app, new tools to personalize your iPhone like the ability to customize the way your lock screen looks and new automations for sharing pictures in Photo Libraries with friends. 

But all these goodies will only be available to people with the iPhone 8 and later models. This means any phones introduced in 2016 or earlier won’t be getting Apple software updates anymore. It’s not an unexpected move, given Apple regularly retires software support on older devices. 

To be clear, your older device and all your apps should continue to work for now even without the update to all the shiny new features. But since you won’t be getting any new iOS software updates, that could leave your device vulnerable to hacks and malware since software updates also often include patches for bugs. 

Apple may continue to offer some security updates to these older devices, as it’s done with some older iPhone 5 and iPhone 6 devices. But even if it does, it’s likely the updates will only include critical vulnerabilities and may still leave devices open to attack. To keep up with all these potential vulnerabilities and to see what if any security updates will be available to you, be sure to keep your eye on Apple Security updates. 

For more, read up on everything Apple announced at WWDC 2022. This includes WatchOS 9, MacOS Ventura and a M2 MacBook Air.