From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.advocacy

Only Apple does this, so it behooves us to comprehend Apple's policy:

*Apple About Software Updates*
<https://support.apple.com/guide/deployment/about-software-updates-depc4c80847a>
"Not all known security issues are addressed in previous versions."

For example,
1. The iPhone X first shipped for retail sale on November 3, 2017.
2. The last pre-iOS-17 release was iOS 16.6.1 on September 7, 2023.
3. 2,134 days / 365 days in a year = 5.85 years
Note this critical sentence which shows why subsequent iOS 16.x releases
do NOT contain a fully-patched OS (as documented by Apple's own words):
"Not all known security issues are addressed in previous versions."

Since Apple appears to have written their policy under duress from security researchers, let's let others more transparently explain Apple's policy:

*Apple Admits It Only Fully Patches Security Flaws In Its Latest OS Releases*
<https://hothardware.com/news/apple-admits-only-fully-patches-security-flaws-in-latest-os-releases>
"Old versions of operating systems of Apple devices
do not get complete security patches."

*Here's How Long Apple Provides Full Security Updates For Products*
<https://screenrant.com/apple-product-security-update-lifespan/>
"The support document notes that only the latest releases provide
full protection from security vulnerabilities."

*Apple clarifies security update policy: Only the latest OSes are fully patched*'
<https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2022/10/apple-clarifies-security-update-policy-only-the-latest-oses-are-fully-patched/>
"Despite providing security updates for multiple versions of
macOS and iOS at any given time, Apple says that only devices
running the most recent major operating system versions
should expect to be fully protected."

The difference between Apple's "full update" & "Security Patch" has to take into account Apple's definition of a Full Update (Major or Minor Release).

A full update is any update that:
a. Advances the OS version in a meaningful way (i.e., not an RSR)
b. Adds features, frameworks, or API changes
c. Is part of the active development cycle of that OS
And, most critically:
d. Is released *before* the next major OS version launches

Example: iOS 16.0 -> 16.1 -> 16.2 -> ... -> 16.6.1

These are updates Apple actively develops on a current platform.
a. iOS 16.6.1 (September 7, 2023) is the last of these.
b. That's why it's so important when understanding Apple's release policy

What released after that are security patches (Legacy Support Update).
After iOS 17 launched, Apple occasionally released:
a. iOS 16.7
b. iOS 16.7.1
c. iOS 16.7.2
etc.

These are not full updates as they:
a. Add no new features
b. Make no architectural changes
c. Only patch security vulnerabilities
d. Are issued only to keep older devices safe enough to use
e. Are not part of the active development cycle
They're essentially random "life support" updates.

When we say:
"The last fully-supported iOS release was iOS 16.6.1"
a. We're identifying the final full update
b. Which is the last time the OS received real development attention
c. before Apple moved on to the next major release cycle

That last release prior to the next release is the date that defines:
"Not all known security issues are addressed in previous versions."

The instant the next major release ships, that defines:
a. The end of the iPhone X's full software support
b. The end of feature development
c. The end of API evolution
d. The cutoff for app developers targeting new features
It's the moment the device becomes "legacy" in Apple's ecosystem

Subsequent security patches don't change any of that.
a. iOS 16.6.1 is the last full update.
b. Everything after it is maintenance only.

Only Apple does full-support this way so it behooves us to understand it.
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From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.advocacy

On 3/23/26 6:16 AM, Maria Sophia wrote:

Only Apple does this, so it behooves us to comprehend Apple's policy:

*Apple About Software Updates*
<https://support.apple.com/guide/deployment/about-software-updates-depc4c80847a>
"Not all known security issues are addressed in previous versions."

For example,
1. The iPhone X first shipped for retail sale on November 3, 2017.
2. The last pre-iOS-17 release was iOS 16.6.1 on September 7, 2023.
3. 2,134 days / 365 days in a year = 5.85 years
Note this critical sentence which shows why subsequent iOS 16.x releases
do NOT contain a fully-patched OS (as documented by Apple's own words):
"Not all known security issues are addressed in previous versions."

Since Apple appears to have written their policy under duress from security researchers, let's let others more transparently explain Apple's policy:

*Apple Admits It Only Fully Patches Security Flaws In Its Latest OS Releases*
<https://hothardware.com/news/apple-admits-only-fully-patches-security-flaws-in-latest-os-releases>
"Old versions of operating systems of Apple devices
do not get complete security patches."

*Here's How Long Apple Provides Full Security Updates For Products*
<https://screenrant.com/apple-product-security-update-lifespan/>
"The support document notes that only the latest releases provide
full protection from security vulnerabilities."

*Apple clarifies security update policy: Only the latest OSes are fully patched*'
<https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2022/10/apple-clarifies-security-update-policy-only-the-latest-oses-are-fully-patched/>
"Despite providing security updates for multiple versions of
macOS and iOS at any given time, Apple says that only devices
running the most recent major operating system versions
should expect to be fully protected."

The difference between Apple's "full update" & "Security Patch" has to take into account Apple's definition of a Full Update (Major or Minor Release).

A full update is any update that:
a. Advances the OS version in a meaningful way (i.e., not an RSR)
b. Adds features, frameworks, or API changes
c. Is part of the active development cycle of that OS
And, most critically:
d. Is released *before* the next major OS version launches

Example: iOS 16.0 -> 16.1 -> 16.2 -> ... -> 16.6.1

These are updates Apple actively develops on a current platform.
a. iOS 16.6.1 (September 7, 2023) is the last of these.
b. That's why it's so important when understanding Apple's release policy

What released after that are security patches (Legacy Support Update).
After iOS 17 launched, Apple occasionally released:
a. iOS 16.7
b. iOS 16.7.1
c. iOS 16.7.2
etc.

These are not full updates as they:
a. Add no new features
b. Make no architectural changes
c. Only patch security vulnerabilities
d. Are issued only to keep older devices safe enough to use
e. Are not part of the active development cycle
They're essentially random "life support" updates.

When we say:
"The last fully-supported iOS release was iOS 16.6.1"
a. We're identifying the final full update
b. Which is the last time the OS received real development attention
c. before Apple moved on to the next major release cycle

That last release prior to the next release is the date that defines:
"Not all known security issues are addressed in previous versions."

The instant the next major release ships, that defines:
a. The end of the iPhone X's full software support
b. The end of feature development
c. The end of API evolution
d. The cutoff for app developers targeting new features
It's the moment the device becomes "legacy" in Apple's ecosystem

Subsequent security patches don't change any of that.
a. iOS 16.6.1 is the last full update.
b. Everything after it is maintenance only.

Only Apple does full-support this way so it behooves us to understand it.

That is the way I understand it. So what? Apple just patched Dark Sword
all the way back to iPhone 6.

Look at all the Android phones out there not getting any updates after
just a few years. Many would be vulnerable to this recent one:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/daveywinder/2026/03/16/critical-flaw-875-million-android-phones-at-risk-of-60-second-hack/
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From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.advocacy

Tom Elam wrote:

Only Apple does full-support this way so it behooves us to understand it.

That is the way I understand it. So what? Apple just patched Dark Sword
all the way back to iPhone 6.

Look at all the Android phones out there not getting any updates after
just a few years. Many would be vulnerable to this recent one:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/daveywinder/2026/03/16/critical-flaw-875-million-android-phones-at-risk-of-60-second-hack/

Hi Tom,

Thanks for understanding that only Apple drops all full support for any
major release the instant the next-major release is shipped.

Every other common OS vendor has an overlap of major release full support.

This discussion is about all of us better understanding Apple's OS-support policy, and not necessarily about an individual app receiving a patch.

When Apple says in its own documentation that:
"Not all known security issues are addressed in previous versions."
... Apple is referring specifically to iOS / macOS system-level security
fixes, not to third-party apps or game updates.

Updating an app like Dark Sword is not the same thing as updating the
operating system because third-party apps have absolutely nothing to do
with Apple¢s OS-level security policy.

Dark Sword is a third-party action RPG game available on the App Store.
It's developed by a company called NANOO Company Inc., not by Apple.

Because it's a normal App Store app:
a. It updates on its own schedule
b. It's maintained by its own developer
c. It can continue receiving updates for as long as the developer wants
Apps have little relationship to iOS support lifecycles

In other words, an app update proves nothing about Apple's OS support.

App updates don't change the kernel, system frameworks, WebKit, sandboxing rules, Bluetooth stack, baseband firmware or any of the hundreds of
OS-level components where Apple withholds fixes from older OS branches.

Apps can be updated independently for years on every operating system.
That has nothing to do with whether the OS is fully patched by the OEM.

This thread is simply documenting & discussing Apple's own stated policy:
1. Only the current major OS receives complete security patches.
2. Older OS branches receive partial patches.
3. Therefore, by Apple's own documented definition, the last
fully-supported OS version for a device is the last one
which was released before the next major OS ships.

As far as I know, Apple's policy is unique in that Apple immediately drops
full support the instant the next operating system major version ships.

Only Apple fully supports only one major operating system concurrently.

As for Android: yes, many $39.99 Android devices get poor support.
But historically Apple's OS support hasn't been all that great either.

The first iPhone, for example, only had 2.6 years of full OS support.
The iPhone 3G was even less, at 2.37 years of full OS support.
The iPhone 4 was better, at 4.02 years of full OS support.
The iPhone 5 even better, at 4.82 years of full OS support.
The iPhone 6 was about the same at 4.00 years of full OS support.
Yet the iPhone 7 was two years longer, at 5.99 years of full OS support.

Even with that in mind, this thread isn't about comparing Apple to Android; it's explaining Apple's policy so users can make informed decisions.






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