Pokemon go older iphones ios 11 niantic end support – Breaking News & Latest Updates 2026
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You may need to upgrade your iPhone if you want to keep playing Pokémon Go

An upgrade to iOS 11 is required

An upgrade to iOS 11 is required

Somebody playing Pokémon Go and trying to catch Mewtwo.
Somebody playing Pokémon Go and trying to catch Mewtwo.
Sam Byford / The Verge

Niantic is ending Pokémon Go support for Apple devices incapable of upgrading to iOS 11. Older iPhone models, like the iPhone 5 and iPhone 5C, will be affected by the incoming update, coming February 28th.

If you have a phone without iOS 11, you won’t be able to access your account, use your pokécoins, or use items in your bags. According to the developer, the reason for dropping support is simple: “This change is a result of improvements to Pokémon Go that push the application beyond the capabilities of the operating systems on such devices.”

Niantic has been steadily making improvements, like additional catchable creatures and weather systems, to the game since its initial release in July 2016. Its most notable update as of late added enhanced augmented reality features (see: made pokémon sizes more reasonable within the real world).

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