iPhone End of Life Chart: Which Models Still Get Updates in 2026
Apple does not announce an end-of-life date for any iPhone. A model's support winds down in two steps: a new iOS version leaves it off the compatibility list, and some time later Apple stops issuing security fixes for the last iOS it can run. iOS 27 was released on September 14, 2026, and Apple's compatibility list covers iPhone 11 and every later model, plus iPhone SE (2nd generation) and later. No model was dropped this year: that is the same list as iOS 26.
The chart
| Models | First sold | Newest iOS they run | What they get today |
|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone 17, 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max, Air, 17e | September 19, 2025 | iOS 27 | Everything: new iOS versions and security updates |
| iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, 16 Pro Max, 16e | September 20, 2024 | iOS 27 | Everything |
| iPhone 15, 15 Plus, 15 Pro, 15 Pro Max | September 22, 2023 | iOS 27 | Everything |
| iPhone 14, 14 Plus, 14 Pro, 14 Pro Max | September 16, 2022 | iOS 27 | Everything |
| iPhone 13, 13 mini, 13 Pro, 13 Pro Max; SE (3rd generation) | September 24, 2021 | iOS 27 | Everything |
| iPhone 12, 12 mini, 12 Pro, 12 Pro Max | October 23, 2020 | iOS 27 | Everything |
| iPhone 11, 11 Pro, 11 Pro Max; SE (2nd generation) | September 20, 2019 | iOS 27 | Everything. The oldest models on Apple's list, so the first in line to be dropped |
| iPhone XR, XS, XS Max | September 21, 2018; XR on October 26, 2018 | iOS 18 | Security fixes only. Apple's most recent iOS 18 update for these three models came on August 17, 2026 |
| iPhone 8, 8 Plus, X | September 22, 2017 | iOS 16 | Emergency fixes at most. The most recent iOS 16 update came on May 11, 2026 |
| iPhone 7, 7 Plus, 6s, 6s Plus, SE (1st generation) | September 25, 2015 onward | iOS 15 | Emergency fixes at most. The most recent iOS 15 update came on May 11, 2026 |
| iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 5s and older | 2014 and earlier | iOS 12 or older | Nothing |
Sources: Apple's iOS 27 compatibility list, and the device lists in Apple's security release notes, which name the models each update is for. The iPhone 18 Pro, 18 Pro Max and iPhone Duo are on Apple's iOS 27 list as well; they are new this month. Every model, one by one, is on our iPhone page.
Why you see "end of life" dates for iPhones that Apple is still patching
Because Apple publishes no end date, every date you find for an iPhone, ours included, is reconstructed after the fact from the last update that model received. The catch is that Apple keeps reaching back. It shipped an iOS 18 security update for the iPhone XR, XS and XS Max on August 17, 2026, an iOS 16 update for the iPhone 8 and X on May 11, 2026, and an iOS 15 update for the iPhone 7 and 6s generation on May 11, 2026, years after those phones stopped getting new iOS versions. A reconstructed date can therefore be overtaken by a later patch. Treat any single "iPhone XR end of life" date as the last update seen so far, and use the newest-iOS column above for the decision that matters.
What to do
- Check the phone, not the calendar. Settings, then General, then Software Update. If it offers iOS 27, the phone is fully supported.
- On iOS 18 and cannot go further (XR, XS, XS Max): still receiving security fixes, with no promise of the next one. Fine for now; plan the replacement on your schedule instead of waiting for the fixes to stop without notice.
- On iOS 16 or iOS 15: months pass between fixes and most flaws are never patched. Move banking, work email and anything with saved passwords off the device.
- Buying used or handing down: an iPhone 11 runs the current iOS today but is the oldest model that does. A phone two or three generations newer buys years more.
- Business fleets: set a minimum iOS version in device management and let it flag the stragglers; iPhones age in cohorts by chip generation, so they fall off the list in groups.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does an iPhone reach end of life?
Apple does not publish an end-of-life date for an iPhone. In practice a model's support winds down in two steps: first a new iOS version leaves it off the compatibility list, then, some time later, Apple stops issuing security fixes for the last iOS version it can run. Apple does not announce either step in advance.
Which iPhones can run iOS 27?
Per Apple's compatibility list: iPhone 11 and every later model, plus iPhone SE (2nd generation) and later. iPhone XR, XS and XS Max cannot; they stay on iOS 18.
When will iPhone 12 stop getting updates?
Apple has not said. iPhone 12 runs iOS 27, the current version, so it is fully supported today. The earliest it could lose new iOS versions is the next major release, and Apple has usually kept issuing security fixes for a while after that.
Is iPhone XR still supported?
Partly. iPhone XR, XS and XS Max cannot run iOS 26 or iOS 27, but Apple has continued to release iOS 18 security updates for them. That is security fixes only, with no commitment about how long they continue.
Related
- iPhone — every model, one by one
- iOS end of life: which versions still get updates
- iPad end of life
- How we verify our dates