Pokémon GO Soon Won't Support iPhone 5, iPhone 5c, and Some Older iPads

Wednesday January 10, 2018 5:33 AM PST by Joe Rossignol
Niantic on Tuesday announced that Pokémon GO will require an iPhone or iPad capable of running iOS 11 or later at the end of February.


The company plans to release an update for Pokémon GO around February 28, 2018 that will end support for older iPhone and iPad models incapable of updating to iOS 11, including the iPhone 5 and iPhone 5c.

The complete list of affected devices, released between 2011 and 2013:
  • iPhone 5
  • iPhone 5c
  • iPad (4th generation)
  • iPad (3rd generation)
  • iPad mini (1st generation)
  • iPad 2
After that date, players may no longer be able to access their Pokémon GO accounts on affected devices, or use their PokéCoins or other items in their bags. They will need to switch to a supported device to continue playing the game.

More specifically, players who attempt to access Pokémon GO using any of the devices listed above will no longer be able to sign in and will see a message stating that they need to switch to a supported device, suggesting server-side changes.

Niantic said the change is a result of improvements to Pokémon GO that push the game beyond the capabilities of previous iOS versions, likely including a new AR+ mode based on Apple's ARKit for iPhone 6s and newer.

Related Roundup: iOS 11
Tag: Pokémon GO
36 comments


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geoff5093
8 months ago

People still play Pokémon Go? I thought it died in late 2016 'cos I never see anyone play it anymore.

Yes, people still play it. Just because you don't doesn't mean it's dead.
Rating: 9 Votes
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Mlrollin91
8 months ago

('//www.macrumors.com/2018/01/10/pokemon-go-requires-ios-11-after-feb-2018/')


Niantic on Tuesday announced ('https://pokemongo.nianticlabs.com/en/post/iphone5discontinuedsupport') that Pokémon GO ('http://appshopper.com/games/pokemon-go') will require a device running iOS 11 or later at the end of February.



The company plans to release an update for Pokémon GO around February 28, 2018 that will end support for older iPhone and iPad models incapable of updating to iOS 11, including the iPhone 5 and iPhone 5c.

The complete list of affected devices ('https://support.pokemongo.nianticlabs.com/hc/en-us/articles/115016003208'), released between 2011 and 2013:iPhone 5
iPhone 5c
iPad (4th generation)
iPad (3rd generation)
iPad mini (1st generation)
iPad 2After that date, players may no longer be able to access their Pokémon GO accounts on affected devices, or use their PokéCoins or other items in their bags. They will need to switch to a supported device to continue playing the game.

More specifically, players who attempt to access Pokémon GO using any of the devices listed above will no longer be able to sign in and will see a message stating that they need to switch to a supported device, suggesting server-side changes.

Niantic said the change is a result of improvements to Pokémon GO that push the game beyond the capabilities of previous iOS versions, likely including a new AR+ mode ('//www.macrumors.com/2017/12/20/pokemon-go-ios-update-arkit/') based on Apple's ARKit for iPhone 6s and newer.

Article Link: Pokémon GO Will Soon Require iOS 11 ('//www.macrumors.com/2018/01/10/pokemon-go-requires-ios-11-after-feb-2018/')

Incorrect title. They are not requiring iOS 11. They are requiring iOS 11 capable devices. i.e 5s and newer. They are dropping support for 32-bit. iOS 11 is not required.
Rating: 4 Votes
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Mlrollin91
8 months ago

I don't have this app but I hate when companies do this in general.

They should simply push out new app features to those who want to update and leave those who like the old version which worked just fine alone.

They aren’t actually requiring iOS 11. They are weeding out older devices that aren’t 64-bit so they can remove that code and focus on improving the performance for newer devices.

It’s pretty straightforward in the announcement last night, but this post leaves that out.

“This change is a result of improvements to Pokémon GO that push the application beyond the capabilities of the operating systems on such devices.”
Rating: 4 Votes
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Mlrollin91
8 months ago

While I could understand cutting out the 32-bit code and only having future updates for 64-bit devices... intentionally blocking people on 32-bit devices, who previously had a working app just the day before, seems pretty heavy handed and not as consumer friendly as I would like.

Apple no longer supports any 32-bit device. The iPhone 5 will be 6 years old this year.

The reason why niantic forces updates is to combat spoofing and scanners. If they leave the old API active, then people can cheat more easily.

They are also giving a 7 week notice. That’s a lot of time.
Rating: 4 Votes
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AlphaHumanus
8 months ago
Well then it’s settled for me I guess. I’ll be upgrading to an IPhone 8 and handing my 6 down to my son, seemingly within the next month. Ha.

He’s using my old 5 currently, and losing access to Pokémon wouldn’t be fair to him.
Rating: 4 Votes
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Mlrollin91
8 months ago

Well then it’s settled for me I guess. I’ll be upgrading to an IPhone 8 and handing my 6 down to my son, seemingly within the next month. Ha.

He’s using my old 5 currently, and losing access to Pokémon wouldn’t be fair to him.

Nice Parent of the year award for you! I started playing with my niece and nephew and their parents absolutely hate it.. All they talk about is Pokemon, but hey, they are kids. When I was their age, all I wanted to do was play Pokemon on my gameboy color.
Rating: 3 Votes
Avatar
spazzcat
8 months ago

I don't have this app but I hate when companies do this in general.

They should simply push out new app features to those who want to update and leave those who like the old version which worked just fine alone.


This means maintaining two code bases which adds costs and can lead to more bugs...
Rating: 3 Votes
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Mlrollin91
8 months ago

Dunno just going by what i witnessed. Friend and I are going to a raid in the city and usually by the time the counter drops to 10 seconds on a level 5 raid the gym is filled with 20 ppl yet no one but us is around.

Makes sense then. Big cities attract spoofers. But regulars cities usually only have a couple here and there.
Rating: 2 Votes
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thisisnotmyname
8 months ago
I'm expecting the same MacRumors forum that throws shade on Pokemon Go with every other story posted will have posts outraged that six year old devices won't be supported.

Mac Rumors forum is killing my normal positive self. :-/
Rating: 2 Votes
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Mlrollin91
8 months ago

Most people are spoofing nowadays. Playing from the comfort of their couch

Most? I wouldn’t go that far. A good number of people, yes. But most is definitely not true. In my area we have about 1000 legit players and a handful of spoofers.

Though that may be anecdotal of my area, I’m in contact with people around the country, and spoofing usually isn’t a big problem. Just a nuisance.
Rating: 2 Votes
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