The iPhone 6 is one of the best selling phones of all time, and a good many of the quarter of a billion devices sold are still in service. Given how common it is, many wonder what the latest iOS version is that the iPhone 6 supports. Given that it was released in 2014, it’s a bit too old to get iOS 14, but many will be surprised at how long Apple supported the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.
What is the highest version of iOS that supports iPhone 6 and 6 Plus?
Apple is known for supporting its devices over the long term, and the iPhone 6 is no different. The highest version of iOS that the iPhone 6 can install is iOS 12. However, just because it can’t install iOS 13 and above doesn’t mean that Apple stopped supporting the phone. In fact, the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus just got an update on January 11, 2021.
The most recent update for the iPhone 6 was 12.5.1. However, it’s been receiving periodic security updates since iOS 12 went to long-term support in September 2019. Its latest two updates added COVID-19 exposure notifications and bugfixes.
Surprisingly, the iPhone 6 isn’t the oldest phone to receive these recent updates. The iPhone 5s, which is almost eight years old, received the 12.5.1 update as well.
Apple hasn’t announced an end date to long-term support for iOS 12. Support for ended in 2017 for iOS 10 and 2019 for iOS 11. So, with that pattern, we can deduce that the last iOS 12 update will likely come this year. However, the iPhone 6 won’t be totally obsolete when Apple stops updating it. Many apps on the App Store will still run as normal. However, the lack of security updates will make the device more vulnerable, which means users should start thinking about getting it replaced at that point.
Apple’s excellent support is part of what makes the iPhone such a good buy. Those with the iPhone 6 should be able to enjoy their devices for a while longer without worrying about issues.
