Apple to Soon End Support for 32-bit iOS Apps

An error message discovered in the new iOS 10.3 beta suggests that Apple may soon end support for 32-bit apps for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad, CultofMac is reporting. The message says that certain apps won’t work with future versions of iOS, and encourages developers to update them . 

“This app will not work with future versions of iOS,” reads the error as noted by developer Peter Steinberger. “The developer of this app needs to update it to improve its compatibility”.

As of February 2015, Apple required all developers to support 64-bit chips when submitting new iOS apps — and that policy was extended to cover updates to existing apps in June of the same year. But not every title in the App Store has been updated since then.

When the transition to 64-bit is complete, older iOS devices — including the iPhone 5, iPhone 5c, and the fourth-generation iPad — will no longer get app updates, and won’t be compatible with the newest iOS releases.

Although Apple is yet to confirm when it will drop support for 32-bit iOS apps, it’s likely to happen with iOS 11 later this year.