These iPhones Just Got Left Behind: Is Yours on Apple’s Shocking iOS Cutoff List?

So, Apple just dropped iOS 26—yep, they skipped a whole chunk of numbers like a rebellious kid dodging chores—and honestly, it’s got me wondering: when does your once shiny iPhone officially become the digital equivalent of a rotary phone? As new models step into the spotlight, the older ones quietly shuffle off to that big charging dock in the sky. Now, if you’re still clutching onto your iPhone XR, XS, or XS Max, it’s time for some tough love—these classics aren’t making the cut for the latest update. But hey, they won’t just keel over immediately; they’ll just start feeling like that one friend who refuses to keep up with the latest gossip… slower, less secure, and a tad left behind. Intrigued (or maybe slightly terrified) about which models survive the software purge? Buckle up, because this isn’t just about new tech—it’s about watching the old guard gracefully exit stage left. LEARN MORE

Apple have announced a new version of their operating software to go with their latest range of phones, iOS 26, but not every device is going to get it.

Bit by bit, the old iPhone range is getting shuffled off into obsolescence as new ranges are brought in on an annual basis.

This new update is coming in to replace iOS 18, and you might be wondering how they’ve jumped from 18 to 26 and missed a bunch of numbers in between.

That’s thanks to a new naming convention Apple is embracing, where they’re switching the numbers to correspond with the year following the update’s release, since the latest versions of iOS have almost always come in the second half of the year and thus this operating system will mostly be working throughout 2026.

While Apple talks about their ‘liquid glass’ feature and the various other changes they’ve made, there are some older iPhone models whose time is up, with three major models being shuffled off into obsolescence.

That’s not to say they’ll become unusable when the new operating system comes out, but with no new major updates or support in the pipeline, they’ll soon begin to fall behind in various areas of performance with no way to catch up.

What iPhone models won’t be compatible with iOS 18?

Bye-bye iPhone XR, you’re now obsolete (Omar Marques/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

iPhone XR

Introduced in 2018 as a more affordable version of the iPhone, the remorseless scythe had been hanging over the XR for a while, considering the X series of phones from the previous year were up for the chop after iOS 16 was released.

The best-selling iPhone of 2018, and one of the best-selling phones of all time, by 2020, Apple had managed to sell 77.4 million of these things, so there are likely to be a good few people who still have these.

The XS and XS Max will also no longer be supported by new updates (Alex Tai/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

iPhone XS

The XR was one of three phones Apple released in 2018; the other two were part of the larger and more expensive XS range.

While they were cutting-edge back in 2018, these phones just don’t have the hardware to keep up with the latest operating systems, and so they get left behind by time and technology.

Lasting for seven years with updates, the XS has had one of the longest supported lives in the iPhone range, but like your pet rabbit, there comes a point where it’s all over.

Apple’s new update is coming, but some phones are dropping off the list of supported devices forever (Cheng Xin/Getty Images)

iPhone XS Max

As the bigger version of the XS range, the XS Max rounds out the trio of iPhones being consigned to the dustbin of history, at least as far as this latest software update is concerned.

A seven-year lifespan is a good run for an iPhone, but the XS Max is about to become obsolete.

That doesn’t mean it’ll stop working altogether, but you’ll find it more difficult to get the device repaired, and the lack of software updates makes your device less secure.

They were the future, once (Getty Stock Photo)

iPhones that are already obsolete

If you were hoping your trusty old iPhone that’s somehow still going many years later was going to bounce back suddenly, then I’ve got some bad news for you.

The XR, XS and XS Max are going to that proverbial Apple Store in the sky, and older models of phones are already there.

Basically, if your iPhone was released in 2018 or before, then you’re not getting iOS 26.

Last year, when iOS 18 was released, there were a whole bunch of phones which were now obsolete, and there are three more joining them on the scrapheap.

As for the devices that can use iOS 26, that’s everything from the iPhone 11 and the second-generation iPhone SE onwards.