YouTube raises app requirements, leaving older iPhones and iPads behind

Users of older Apple devices are being alerted as Google has quietly increased the minimum system requirements for the YouTube app on iOS and iPadOS. This change means that a number of older iPhone and iPad models will soon be unable to update to the latest version of the popular video streaming application.

According to the latest information from the Apple App Store, iPhones and iPads must now be upgraded to iOS 17.0 or iPadOS 17.0, respectively, to access the newest YouTube app. For iPhones, iOS 17 officially supports models released from 2018 onwards, including the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR. Consequently, devices such as the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X, released in 2017, will not be able to upgrade to iOS 17 and will therefore miss out on the latest YouTube app updates.

On the iPad side, iPadOS 17 supports models like the 10.5-inch iPad Pro, the second-generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro, and subsequent models. This includes the 11-inch iPad Pro (1st generation and later), iPad Air (3rd generation and later), iPad (6th generation and later), and iPad mini (5th generation and later). Any iPad models older than these will also be excluded from future YouTube app updates.

Google has stated that while older devices may continue to function with their current app versions for a limited time, support for these older versions will eventually cease. If the app becomes unusable, users are advised to access YouTube through a web browser on their devices.