IOS Lifecycle: End Of Life And Support Status
Last updated on October 25, 2023
iOS is an operating system developed by Apple Inc. for their iPhones. It is the second most used mobile phone operating system after Android. Apple publishes a newer version of iOS every year and is usually supported for 1 year.
Support status guide
End of life (EOL) is the end of a product’s useful life. When a product reaches the end of its life cycle, the manufacturer no longer supports it. The following table explains the different phases of a product’s lifecycle. Testing status is when the product is initially released and EOL is when product support is no longer offered. The time between these two points is the support timeframe.
Testing
The software is not yet publicly available. It is in testing phase i.e., alpha, beta, release preview etc.
Active
The software is actively supported by the vendor.
Phasing Out
The software will soon reach its end of life. You need to look for upgrade or migration options. The software will automatically go into phasing out status 2 months before end of life.
End Of Life
The software is no longer supported by the vendor. You need to make sure your system and environment are safe.
Version
Released
Active Support
(18 September 2023)
(12 September 2022)
(20 September 2021)
(12 September 2022)
(16 September 2020)
(20 September 2021)
(19 September 2019)
(16 September 2020)
(17 September 2018)
(19 September 2019)
(19 September 2017)
(17 September 2018)
(13 September 2016)
(19 September 2017)
(16 September 2015)
(13 September 2016)
(17 September 2014)
(16 September 2015)
(18 September 2013)
(17 September 2014)
(19 September 2012)
(18 September 2013)
(12 October 2011)
(19 September 2012)
While iOS may receive minor updates from time to time that include security patches, major updates are released once a year. An iPhone device is only compatible with a certain number of upcoming major iOS versions. After a certain time, an iPhone will need to be upgraded in order to receive the latest iOS versions and updates.
Previously, when a newer version of iOS was released, the older version was no longer supported. However, with iOS 15, Apple now supports the two latest iOS versions simultaneously for a short period, till everyone upgrades to the latest available iOS version.
EOLs
