In Pokémon GO, support for iOS 12 will soon be discontinued. For this reason, you should check which version you have. We have taken a look at what will happen.
What is it about? To play Pokémon GO, you need the technical requirements, otherwise the game cannot run on your device. Now an old iOS version is going to be phased out. iOS is Apple’s operating system.
As early as June 2020, Niantic restricted the list of smartphones for Android users. This time, however, these users are not affected.
iOS 12 and Pokémon GO – Support is being discontinued
As Niantic announced on the evening of November 15, 2021, via their official Twitter account, support for iOS 12 will be discontinued starting with the next game update. This means that trainers who have this version on their smartphones will no longer be able to play.
According to Niantic’s help support, this mainly affects older models (via niantic.helpshift.com). Starting from the iPhone 6s, users can switch to operating systems iOS 13 or higher. To avoid a game outage, you should check which iOS version your smartphone currently has.
This information can be found in the settings under the category “General”. There you will find the option “About”, where you can view the corresponding data. If you find that you are still on iOS 12, you have the option to update this version. For detailed instructions, Niantic refers you to the Apple Help Center.
Why is Niantic doing this? In the past, Niantic has repeatedly adjusted the technical requirements for the game. The reason for this is new presentations and features that are no longer properly supported by the old operating systems.
To enable trainers with new technical devices to have a certain progress and innovations in Pokémon GO, they must part ways with older operating systems. Affected players usually only have the option to upgrade to a different version or, in doubt, to use another smartphone.
What does the community say about it?
Many trainers in the Twitter community are already saying goodbye to their smartphones in the comments. For example, himynameisgabo writes: “Goodbye iPhone 6”. And NEStefan agrees: “RIP old iPhone (and cards)”. However, some players are trying to calm them down in the comments and respond as follows:
- Sandstorm1492: “I use an iPhone 6 for my son’s account and was able to install iOS 15.1”
- AnnaBanana: “You can run iOS 14 on an iPhone 6. My mother has a 6 and runs with 14.8 just fine.”
- Blitzin101: “For those who don’t know: This only affects the iPhone 5 and older models.”
Other users are relieved that they are not affected by this issue. Jammir is happy about his device in the comments and writes: “The great thing about Android is that almost all Android phones support Pokémon GO. Android has saved the lives of many!!!”.
Trainers are concerned about their iPhones
However, some trainers also criticize Niantic’s approach. They are particularly worried that their iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s will not run smoothly after an operating system upgrade.
This fear is being alleviated by TheNightCoreGuy in the comments, who reports from his own experience: “I have an iPhone 6s on iOS 15.1 and it still runs super smooth! You can upgrade to iOS 15, no worries”
Therefore, it should not be a problem for most players to continue playing Pokémon GO in the future.
Are you still using iOS 12 and are affected by this issue? Will you update your smartphone to a newer version or will you even get another device? Feel free to share your opinion here on MeinMMO in the comments and discuss with other trainers.
By the way: You now finally have the opportunity to collect even more in Pokémon GO, as Niantic has increased the limits for item and Pokémon slots. We have taken a look at how much space you can now have at most.
