PSA: Your Older 32-Bit Apps Won't Launch after Installing iOS 11

Megalith

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iOS 11 launches today, but those who upgrade should know that older 32-bit apps that have not been updated will no longer launch: if you attempt to open one of these 32-bit apps, iOS 11 will refuse to open it and offer up a message that says the app needs to be updated to work with the new operating system. You're also not going to find 32-bit apps available when searching in the new App Store, nor can previously downloaded 32-bit apps be installed through the Purchased tab.

Apple has not widely publicized the imminent lack of support for 32-bit apps, so when older apps stop working tomorrow, it could come as a shock to the users who are still have them installed and use them regularly. Apple has, however, attempted to warn customers. Starting with the launch of iOS 10.1 in October of 2016, when launching a 32-bit app, Apple informed customers that older apps "may slow down your iPhone." As of iOS 10.3, a more explicit message has been provided: "This app will not work with future versions of iOS."
 
Anyone using an important older app probably wouldn't be using iOS, or at the very least, not champing at the bit to update to the latest version of iOS.
 
I find it kind of sad that Apples iOS is discontinuing it's 32 bit support before Microsoft's desktop OS:es.

There should be no reason for a 32 bit release of Windows 10 to exist.

Weren't some of the Atom tablets 32-bit only for whatever reason? (maybe it was just not enough flash?)
 
I find it kind of sad that Apples iOS is discontinuing it's 32 bit support before Microsoft's desktop OS:es.

There should be no reason for a 32 bit release of Windows 10 to exist.
yes but apple could have spent a bit of time and put and 32 bit emulator into it
 
Weren't some of the Atom tablets 32-bit only for whatever reason? (maybe it was just not enough flash?)

I have an atom in my tablet, I can still install a 64bit OS (Linux for example), but the UEFI is only 32bit so you have to jump through hoops. I am not sure if there are any 32bit only atom processors though.
 
yes but apple could have spent a bit of time and put and 32 bit emulator into it


They could have, but Apple doesn't give a rats ass about their customers. They know they keep coming back for the next shiny object no matter what :p
 
This is no different than older iPod touches being unable to install 99% of the stores apps or Microsoft dropping 16bit support. A company cannot support your software for forever. It really falls on the shoulders of the app developer to keep their software updated. 64bit is so fucking old now, there is no excuse.
 
There should be no reason for a 32 bit release of Windows 10 to exist.

Except that 32 bit windows apps have no problem running under 64 bit windows.

However, I somewhat agree with you on Windows 10.
We have an old custom application at the office that uses some 16 bit code. 16 bit code will NOT run on Windows 64 bit.
The few people that still need this app, are running Windows 7 32 bit, and I will not be upgrading them to Windows 10.
They will be stuck on Windows 7 until the company finally decides to spend the money to replace the app.
 
cool about time, maybe we might start seeing 128 bit os after this
 
The only apps that I ever have issues with is my little bank (credit union) and an older game that is really just a clone of rampart.

I'll survive.
 
I find it kind of sad that Apples iOS is discontinuing it's 32 bit support before Microsoft's desktop OS:es.

There should be no reason for a 32 bit release of Windows 10 to exist.

Not too big of a surprise. For those of us who got 3rd degree burns by the PowerPC to Intel transition, we are acclimated.

Microsoft has never done anything like that.
 
The oldest App I have is FTPonTheGo, which still has the iOS 6 look (the dark blue background). I have never received the warning about the App not working in newer version, so I guess it's ok.

Looks like iOS 6 (2013) is about as old as you can be for 64 bit support.
 
I get the upgrade to 64bit, but I don't agree with the final part " nor can previously downloaded 32-bit apps be installed through the Purchased tab." You should at least be able to install the 64bit version without having to pay for it again !!!
 
I guess that would make this the perfect moment to jump ship for anyone with a large library of old apps who's considering switching from iOS to something else.
 
I get the upgrade to 64bit, but I don't agree with the final part " nor can previously downloaded 32-bit apps be installed through the Purchased tab." You should at least be able to install the 64bit version without having to pay for it again !!!

Where does it say anything about having to buy a new version of an app?
 
yes but apple could have spent a bit of time and put and 32 bit emulator into it

ios is small and efficient, running an emulator goes against that compromises the OS not to mention all the legacy shit that needs to be cut loose due to lazy developers. There is a reason why it is lightweight compared to bloatdroid.
 
ios is small and efficient, running an emulator goes against that compromises the OS not to mention all the legacy shit that needs to be cut loose due to lazy developers. There is a reason why it is lightweight compared to bloatdroid.

Manufacturers make it bloaty. A stock Android ROM is very lightweight.. hell, if I wanted to listen to music from my own library I had to install a media player myself.

So, when comparing iOS to Android, you should use Google's version.
 
I am working with a few clients that have really old iOS apps we developed years ago. I contacted them a long time ago to let them know their 32 bit apps would not be supported with iOS11. Guess who is still updating some of their apps? One contacted me last week! I guess they tried a sneak peak and found out I wasn't joking.
If the projects weren't so old, we could damn near get away with just recompiling the projects. However, lots of deprecated methods, no longer supported libraries, screen sizes not working, etc. I recommended a few just to start over. Of course, they think we can make a few magic tweaks and have them back quickly.
Had the clients I work with done proper software maintenance over the years, this would not have been an issue at all. Apple has great developer tools. It's the companies that are too cheap to maintain their software that are causing the problem. All the apps I'm talking about are written in Objective-C. I got used to the language (and actually started liking it) - but Swift is much nicer for iOS development. Sigh. I'm hoping to be done with these tarts in a week or two. The projects are not that big - more annoying that anything.
 
I am working with a few clients that have really old iOS apps we developed years ago. I contacted them a long time ago to let them know their 32 bit apps would not be supported with iOS11. Guess who is still updating some of their apps? One contacted me last week! I guess they tried a sneak peak and found out I wasn't joking.
If the projects weren't so old, we could damn near get away with just recompiling the projects. However, lots of deprecated methods, no longer supported libraries, screen sizes not working, etc. I recommended a few just to start over. Of course, they think we can make a few magic tweaks and have them back quickly.
Had the clients I work with done proper software maintenance over the years, this would not have been an issue at all. Apple has great developer tools. It's the companies that are too cheap to maintain their software that are causing the problem. All the apps I'm talking about are written in Objective-C. I got used to the language (and actually started liking it) - but Swift is much nicer for iOS development. Sigh. I'm hoping to be done with these tarts in a week or two. The projects are not that big - more annoying that anything.

Shouldn't your clients just suffer for it? Your afterservice should demand a premium.
 
I get the upgrade to 64bit, but I don't agree with the final part " nor can previously downloaded 32-bit apps be installed through the Purchased tab." You should at least be able to install the 64bit version without having to pay for it again !!!

You won't. A developer should be updating the store entry with the 64-bit version so all a user has to do is re-download for free.
 
Manufacturers make it bloaty. A stock Android ROM is very lightweight.. hell, if I wanted to listen to music from my own library I had to install a media player myself.

So, when comparing iOS to Android, you should use Google's version.

Well since I would never use a google phone, I won't.
 
I get the upgrade to 64bit, but I don't agree with the final part " nor can previously downloaded 32-bit apps be installed through the Purchased tab." You should at least be able to install the 64bit version without having to pay for it again !!!

Nothing nefarious about this. It just means that there is no 64-bit version of the app so you won't be able to install it because it is 32-bit so of course you won't be able to install it. This is more referring to apps that had been removed from the app store that you could still download if you had purchased it.
 
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