YouTube has officially announced that it will be dropping support from a few older Apple iPhones and iPads, tightening its software, and nudging users to upgrade their old devices. With the new app update, YouTube version 20.22.1, the video platform will now require iOS 16 or later to install and run on iPhones.
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This means devices like the iPhone 6s, 6s Plus, iPhone 7 series, first-generation iPhone SE, and the iPod touch (7th gen) will not be supporting the devices. Speaking of the iPads, they must be able to run on iPadOS 16 or higher. This means that the iPad Air 2 or iPad Mini 4 will not support YouTube’s latest version.
According to the report by MacRumors, the change comes as a broader shift by major tech platforms to focus on more modern, secure systems which can support more advanced features and get regular updates.
If you still have any of the above-mentioned devices and still want to run YouTube, you can do so by heading to the mobile browser (m.youtube.com). However, it may restrict you from a lot of features including downloads, seamless UI, and performance optimisations.
This comes days after WhatsApp implemented a similar policy change. For the unversed, WhatsApp has discontinued the support for iPhones running below iOS 15.1 and Android devices below version 5.0. The devices from Apple, Samsung and other brands were among those affected.
Meta stated that these devices lack the security standards and system capabilities needed to support modern versions of the app. So, if you’re using an old device that’s been impacted, you’ll need to upgrade to a new and more relevant one.
Ashish Singh is the Chief Copy Editor at Digit. He's been wrangling tech jargon since 2020 (Times Internet, Jagran English '22). When not policing commas, he's likely fueling his gadget habit with coffee, strategising his next virtual race, or plotting a road trip to test the latest in-car tech. He speaks fluent Geek. View Full Profile