Pokémon Go will drop support for aging iOS devices in its next major update, developer Niantic has confirmed. Only iPhones and iPads compatible with iOS 11 will be able to run the game as of February 28.
That’s bad news for players who don’t have an iPhone 6 or later.
Interest in Pokémon Go has declined significantly since its early boom, but millions of people continue to play the game every day. Many of those players will no longer have the option next month as Niantic drops support for older iOS devices.
iPhone 5 and iPhone 5c are out in the cold
Niantic confirmed the news in a statement on its website. “This change is a result of improvements to Pokémon GO that push the application beyond the capabilities of the operating systems on such devices,” the studio explains.
The update that will end support for older devices will roll out on February 28, 2018. Here is a list of all iOS devices that will be affected:
- iPhone 5
- iPhone 5c
- iPad (fourth-generation)
- iPad (third-generation)
- iPad mini (first-generation)
- iPad 2
After February 28, trainers using affected devices “may no longer be able to access their Pokémon GO accounts from that device, or use their PokéCoins or other items in their Bags,” Niantic warns. “They will need to switch to a supported device to continue playing.”
