iOS 10 warns users when opening legacy apps not encoded in 64-bit

Posted:
in iPhone
More than a year after Apple mandated that all new apps must be 64-bit compatible, iOS 10 will begin warning users that non-compliant legacy apps may affect the stability of their iPhone or iPad.




Starting with this week's first developer beta of iOS 10, opening an older application for the first time will present users with a warning message, indicating that the software has not been updated with proper 64-bit support.

"Using (this app) may affect overall system performance," the warning reads.

Support for 64-bit processors has been required for both new and updated apps since June of 2015. That means any app that displays the warning in iOS 10 has not been updated in over a year.

Developers with legacy apps who want to keep their creations working properly have until iOS 10 launches to the public this fall to update. Developers are advised to enable 64-bit in their project by using the default Xcode build setting of "standard architectures," allowing a single binary of both 32- and 64-bit code.

Apple was first to bring 64-bit portable computing to the mainstream with the launch of the iPhone 5s in 2013. Every iOS-based device currently sold by Apple now runs a 64-bit processor.

Despite the 64-bit requirements now in place, iOS 10 will still run on a trio of devices that do not feature 64-bit processors: The iPhone 5c released in 2013 sports a 32-bit A6 processor, and the iPhone 5 launched in 2012 uses the same CPU, while the fourth-generation iPad features a 32-bit A6X chip.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 23
    slurpyslurpy Posts: 5,382member
    Any app that hasn't been updated in a year doesn't even deserve to be on the AppStore anymore, as clearly whoever made it couldn't care less about it and is. Or willing to put an iota of effort into maintaining it. 
    lolliverargonauticoco3
  • Reply 2 of 23
    bonobobbonobob Posts: 382member
    slurpy said:
    Any app that hasn't been updated in a year doesn't even deserve to be on the AppStore anymore, as clearly whoever made it couldn't care less about it and is. Or willing to put an iota of effort into maintaining it. 
    I have some apps that are still useful that haven't been updated in years, and never will be, as the developer is no longer publishing the apps (or any others, for that matter).
    chiaindieshackbaconstangpscooter63argonauttallest skil
  • Reply 3 of 23
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member
    bonobob said:
    slurpy said:
    Any app that hasn't been updated in a year doesn't even deserve to be on the AppStore anymore, as clearly whoever made it couldn't care less about it and is. Or willing to put an iota of effort into maintaining it. 
    I have some apps that are still useful that haven't been updated in years, and never will be, as the developer is no longer publishing the apps (or any others, for that matter).
    Then let’s not hear you bashing Apple if your iOS device starts crashing for no apparent reason.
    lolliver
  • Reply 4 of 23
    nhughesnhughes Posts: 770editor
    slurpy said:
    Any app that hasn't been updated in a year doesn't even deserve to be on the AppStore anymore, as clearly whoever made it couldn't care less about it and is. Or willing to put an iota of effort into maintaining it. 
    Like Apple's own remote app?


    VisualSeedindieshackWooloomoolooargonauttallest skil
  • Reply 5 of 23
    Is there a way to tell in iOS 9 whether the app is 32 or 64?  Or do you basically have to see if it has been updated since the deadline in 2015?
    baconstang
  • Reply 6 of 23
    wizard69wizard69 Posts: 13,377member
    slurpy said:
    Any app that hasn't been updated in a year doesn't even deserve to be on the AppStore anymore, as clearly whoever made it couldn't care less about it and is. Or willing to put an iota of effort into maintaining it. 
    Which is a very self centered attitude to have! Seriously not every app is high volume. More so not every developer has the time to focus on a single app. Think your corporate developer here. By the way I think it is good that Apple is forcing the issues here. For some it will be a big hassle. I can see some in corporate land using it as an excuse not to buy Apple hardware.
  • Reply 7 of 23
    sounds like Apple attempting to "shame" developers.
  • Reply 8 of 23
    baconstangbaconstang Posts: 1,103member
    So these apps that are not encoded in 64 bit, but have been running fine are now going to have a problem with iOS10?
    I've got well over $100 tied up in apps, many haven't been updated in several years.  It would be nice to find out which may have a problem.  iOS 10 may have to wait a while.
  • Reply 9 of 23
    So these apps that are not encoded in 64 bit, but have been running fine are now going to have a problem with iOS10?
    I've got well over $100 tied up in apps, many haven't been updated in several years.  It would be nice to find out which may have a problem.  iOS 10 may have to wait a while.
    You can sign up for the public beta in July and try those apps that you use. Find out which are 32-bit, then see if there are any problems or not. I wouldn't be so pessimistic until specifics about these problems are reported.
    lolliver
  • Reply 10 of 23
    elijahgelijahg Posts: 2,753member
    "Encoded" in 64 bit? Since when have binaries been encoded? I think you'll find that apps are compiled as 64 bit, not encoded, Neil Hughes
    edited June 2016 anton zuykovlolliverargonaut
  • Reply 11 of 23
    kevin keekevin kee Posts: 1,289member
    nhughes said:
    slurpy said:
    Any app that hasn't been updated in a year doesn't even deserve to be on the AppStore anymore, as clearly whoever made it couldn't care less about it and is. Or willing to put an iota of effort into maintaining it. 
    Like Apple's own remote app?

    Joking aside, I believe Apple will update all of their native apps to 64-bit and compatible with iOS 10 way before iOS 10 released. The problem is there are millions of apps out there whose developer has already abandoned. I guess culling is unavoidable.
    lolliver
  • Reply 12 of 23
    There seems to be some confusuon. This doesn't mean the 32bit App will no longer run. If you have 32bit and 64bit Apps running then iOS will need to keep additional resources for both in memory. This is where the performance hit comes from. If everything is 64bit, then there's no need to have any 32bit resources running.
    lolliverargonaut
  • Reply 13 of 23
    nhughes said:
    slurpy said:
    Any app that hasn't been updated in a year doesn't even deserve to be on the AppStore anymore, as clearly whoever made it couldn't care less about it and is. Or willing to put an iota of effort into maintaining it. 
    Like Apple's own remote app?



    You seriously expected Apple would have this done for the iOS 10 beta?
  • Reply 14 of 23
    slurpy said:
    Any app that hasn't been updated in a year doesn't even deserve to be on the AppStore anymore, as clearly whoever made it couldn't care less about it and is. Or willing to put an iota of effort into maintaining it. 


    The Stanza app hasn't been updated in several years, and in fact is no longer available, and is still one of the most used apps on my phone and iPad.

    As long as iOS still runs the app, I'll be OK.

  • Reply 15 of 23
    crowleycrowley Posts: 10,453member
    slurpy said:
    Any app that hasn't been updated in a year doesn't even deserve to be on the AppStore anymore, as clearly whoever made it couldn't care less about it and is. Or willing to put an iota of effort into maintaining it. 
    A well-coded app may not need to be updated. The game Letterpress for example went almost over two years without an update. It didn't get any less functional or fun in that time, and being 64 bit wouldn't increase anyone's enjoyment of it.
    baconstang
  • Reply 16 of 23
    nhughesnhughes Posts: 770editor
    nhughes said:
    Like Apple's own remote app?



    You seriously expected Apple would have this done for the iOS 10 beta?
    Considering Apple has required app updates to be 64-bit compliant since June of 2015, and the Remote app was updated in December of 2015, putting Apple in violation of its own App Store policies? Yes, I seriously expected it would have been done for the iOS 10 beta.
    elijahg
  • Reply 17 of 23
    aricbaricb Posts: 27member
    "iOS 10 warns users" yes because users have total control over how the app is written. /sarcasm. What it should do is send messages to the developer. "Despite the 64-bit requirements now in place, iOS 10 will still run on a trio of devices that do not feature 64-bit processors" so every time a user opens an app on their iPhone 5, they get this error? If i was an iphone 5 user, i wouldn't update to 10 just to avoid this error every 10 seconds. Error its not 32 bit...Error its not 32 bit...Error its not 32 bit...Error its not 32 bit...Error its not 32 bit...Error its not 32 bit...Error its not 32 bit...Error its not 32 bit...Error its not 32 bit...
    edited June 2016
  • Reply 18 of 23
    sflocalsflocal Posts: 6,092member
    sounds like Apple attempting to "shame" developers.
    As well they should.  I'm a software engineer and it just irritates me when I have to deal with other vendors that sell software, but don't maintain it.  Reasons aside, if you're in the business, don't let your products rot on the vine while continuing to sell it.  It's laziness.
  • Reply 19 of 23
    baconstangbaconstang Posts: 1,103member
    There seems to be some confusuon. This doesn't mean the 32bit App will no longer run. If you have 32bit and 64bit Apps running then iOS will need to keep additional resources for both in memory. This is where the performance hit comes from. If everything is 64bit, then there's no need to have any 32bit resources running.
    Is that any different from the way iOS9 handles things?  Or are they just warning you of a situation that has existed for a year or two?
  • Reply 20 of 23
    rs0212rs0212 Posts: 25member
    Not getting this message when opening 32-bit apps on my iPhone 5. 

    </sarcasm>

    Seriously though, I just hope iOS 10 runs as smoothly on 32 bit devices as iOS 9. I really thought that 9 would be the last version to support 64-bit devices, but looking back it makes sense since they sold the 5c through this February.  I know most people say then don't upgrade, but sometimes there's no choice - many apps stop supporting the older versions after a short time, even those that *require* you to update them before you can use them (DirecTV, NBC Sports, etc). 

    My biggest wish for iOS 10 though is to give us the choice to download a universal version of an app, so that I can transfer the purchased apps from my phone into iTunes again! 
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