If you are still rocking an iPhone from the mid-2010s, you might have just lost access to one of the most popular mobile apps of all time. As reported by MacRumors, YouTube updated its iOS app to version 20.22.1 this week. The release notes don’t share any details, but it turns out that the software update ends support for devices running iOS 15 and iPadOS 15.
iPhone and iPad models losing the YouTube app
For most Apple device owners, this will not be an issue, but there is a range of devices that are unable to upgrade past iOS 15 and iPadOS 15. As a result, these iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch models will no longer be able to use the YouTube app:
- iPhone 6s
- iPhone 6s Plus
- iPhone 7
- iPhone 7 Plus
- iPhone SE (1st generation)
- iPad Air 2
- iPad mini 4
- iPod touch (7th generation)
Even the newest device on this list (the final iPod touch) is six years old, so it’s a minor miracle that YouTube continued to support them for this long. One iOS hobbyist has been tracking each update in the YouTube app for ages, and interestingly enough, it’s been almost exactly one year since version 19.21.2 rolled out, ending support for iOS 14.
The good news is that these devices can still access YouTube via a web browser. If you want to watch YouTube videos on any of these mobile devices, head to m.youtube.com in your browser of choice. The experience won’t be as polished, but at least you’ll be able to continue watching videos without having to buy a new phone or tablet.
Speaking of support for older devices, Apple is planning to introduce iOS 26 next week. Based on what we’ve heard, we expect the next version of iOS to support all the same iPhone models as iOS 18, which would stretch back as far as the iPhone XR, XS, and XS Max. That said, we’ll find out for sure when Apple takes the stage at WWDC 2025.
