Hi everyone,
We are preparing to release v49 of our mobile apps, and we want to let you know about some upcoming changes to our operating system support requirements: Starting with v49, we will be dropping support for iOS 17 and Android 11.
To use the new version of the app, devices will need to run:
- iOS 18 or later
- Android 12 or later
Why the change?
In our announcement last December regarding iOS 16, we mentioned a goal of supporting the 3 most recent major OS versions. Since then, we have taken a deeper look at our analytics and decided to shift our strategy to better serve the community.
Rather than sticking to a rigid "number of versions" rule, we are adopting a usage-based target. Our new goal is to support the operating systems used by 95%+ of our active users. This data-driven approach allows us to focus our development resources on the platforms where the vast majority of you are actually reading and studying.
By moving away from older versions that see very little activity, we can reduce technical debt, improve app stability, and implement newer features with more reliability for everyone.
What if I am on an older version?
If your device is stuck on iOS 17 or Android 11 (or older), you will still be able to use your currently installed version of the app. However, you will not be able to update to v49 or receive new feature updates and bug fixes until you update your device’s operating system.
Affected Devices
- Apple: If your phone runs iOS 17, it is compatible with iOS 18, so you just need to update your software. However, the following iPads cannot update to iPadOS 18 and will remain on v48 of the app: iPad (6th generation), iPad Pro 10.5-inch (1st gen 2017), iPad Pro 12.9-inch (2nd gen 2017).
- Android: This change affects devices that stopped receiving updates at Android 11. This includes popular older devices like the Google Pixel 2 / 2 XL and OnePlus 6 / 6T, as well as many mid-range Samsung Galaxy A-series and Motorola Moto G devices released around 2020–2021.
- Amazon Fire Tablets: Please note that Fire OS 8 is based on Android 11. This means that if you are using a Fire 7 (12th Gen), Fire HD 8 (12th Gen), or Fire HD 10 (13th Gen), you will likely be unable to update to v49 until a newer version of Fire OS (based on Android 12 or higher) becomes available for your specific device.
Thank you for your understanding as we work to make the app better and faster for everyone.
