The way Apple has the App Store configured, you are always directed towards the newest version of an application. Many people abandon these old-but-still-functioning devices not because they’re upset about missing out on the new iOS features, but because it’s such a pain to download apps to them. While getting stuck on older software is par for the course, it can be frustrating. With every new wave of iOS hardware, a little bit of the legacy hardware is left behind. The iPhone 4 is stuck at iOS 7.1.2, for example, and the first-gen iPad is stuck all the way back at iOS 5.1.1.

Although Apple does a pretty admirable job dragging old hardware along for each iOS update, every train has a final stop. What’s the Deal With Old Versions of iOS and New Apps?Īs of the publication of this article, we’re currently on iOS 9 and, in a short few months, iOS 10 will roll out to the public.