What The End Of 32-Bit Support In iOS 11 Really Means

For years, Eddy Boxerman thought his company’s critically acclaimed iOS game Osmos would never need another update. He wasn’t even sure if a new version would be feasible, because the game’s unorthodox multiplayer code no longer worked with Apple’s newer development tools.

But Boxerman realized he had to try. With the launch of iOS 11 in the fall, Apple will require all apps to support 64-bit architecture, which debuted on the iPhone 5S, iPad Air, and iPad Mini 2 in late 2013. Apps that run on Apple’s older 32-bit architecture will cease to function in iOS 11, and won’t appear in App Store search results on devices running the new operating system. (It’s unclear if Apple will purge them from the store entirely.) By forcing the 64-bit upgrade, Apple can ensure better performance on existing iOS apps today, and may be able to free up hardware resources in the future by dropping 32-bit support from its processors.

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