The YouTube app has become incompatible with certain older models of iPhones, iPads, and one specific iPod touch. This change arises from the recent update to the app, which now requires iOS 16 or later. This situation represents a shift in the long-standing relationship between Apple and YouTube, which began in 2007 when Steve Jobs showcased the original iPhone featuring a pre-installed YouTube client. Initially, the YouTube app was readily available on iPhones, and Apple even promoted it in advertisements during the iPhone’s launch.
However, in 2012, Apple removed the pre-installed YouTube client with the launch of iOS 6 beta 4, leading Google to develop independent iOS apps for YouTube and Google Maps. Fast forward to the present, older iPhones that cannot be updated beyond iOS 15 will no longer support the YouTube app. The affected iPhone models include the iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, and the first-generation iPhone SE. In addition to iPhones, the YouTube app now requires iPadOS 16 or later, leaving older iPads like the iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 4 unable to access the app.
The last incompatible model is the iPod touch 7. For users with devices that can no longer use the YouTube app, there is still a way to access content. Users can utilize mobile web browsers like Safari to visit the mobile version of YouTube at m.youtube.com. While the experience may not be as seamless as using the app, it offers an alternative for those who don’t wish to upgrade their devices.
Without new hardware that supports iOS 16 or later, users may find themselves relying on the web for their YouTube needs.