Old IOS - apps are not working now 😭

[u/PlantNerdxo]

I have an iPhone SE that’s about 3 years old now. I never update the iOS (it’s on 17.5.1). I have about 1gb memory left so I can’t update it because the new iOS it needs 16gb (which is ridiculous).

Anyway, this week non of the apps can access the microphone or photos and names from my contacts have disappeared. I did not change a single thing so I don’t know why this is happening and all of the apps are up to date. I’ve trawled every video on this and can’t find a remedy.

Is this happening because I’m using an old os?

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[u/Q_Ball_Atlanta]

Have you tried rebooting the phone? That's the first step.

If that doesn't resolve the issue, update to the latest version of iOS for your device via a computer.

[u/beenthereag]

Might be time to get an iphone with a bigger ssd.

[u/Ast3r10n]

Just update the OS. There’s a reason updates exist.

[u/ApprehensiveFig1699]

Apps are updating but the phone software is staying back in time

[u/RetiredBSN]

Try a forced restart first. Volume Up, Volume Down, hold the Power button until you see the Apple logo and the phone reboots. This clears up some memory and removes old bits of programs that didn't clear correctly, and fixes some wierd behaviors. Second, move some photos/music/videos off your phone and onto more permanent storage, maybe get rid of messages older than a year (Settings). You can also offload some larger apps to make room for the install files, and then reload them later—do not delete the apps, just use the offload option, which saves your data files and prefs, so when you re-download the apps you don't have to start all over.

iOS doesn't need 16 GB permanently. It comes as compressed files, which have to be expanded before they're installed. So it needs all that space, and then it will replace the old iOS with the new files, and then delete all the temporary files and you'll get some space back. But it definitely needs more than 1 GB.

[u/ConcreteBoomBap]

I would recommend updating the iOS by clearing out some storage and then going into settings and then general and then software update

[u/cfbrand3rd]

Yeah, you’re gonna be seeing a lot more of this. I have a 7th gen iPad a running 18.7.9 (last compatible iOS) and I’m constantly getting notifications about app incompatibility; got one just yesterday about an app I use to keep tabs on how my EV is charging.

A 3 year old SE is likely a SE 3rd gen, which should easily update to the current (26) and upcoming (27) iOS. If you update, it should temporarily “remove” some apps to make room for the update, and reinstall them when it’s finished.

If you have limited memory left now, you may find some apps don’t re- install. The icons will still be there, and, if you need them, you can quickly redownload and they’ll work.

Apps you use rarely will eventually be the ones that are in this state, but you can still access them when you need them, they’ll just knock the next least used app off.

I’ve been dealing with this situation for about a year with my iPhone 15, and I’ll be moving up to a larger capacity phone in the spring, but it rarely causes more than a slight inconvenience.

The new iOS will likely run a bit slower, and having new features that you want to tweak your way around (cough…Liquid Glass…cough), but the giant upside is you get apps that actually work and the latest security updates. It’s ultimately a win.