Apple iOS 6 End of Life
Support dates and upgrade guidance — rebuilt from live data.
End of Life
Apple iOS 6 reached end of life on 26 Sept 2013. It no longer receives security fixes.
4,757 days without security patches
Recommended action: upgrade to Apple iOS 27. Support timeline
Official dates from the Apple iOS release process.
| Milestone | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Initial release | 19 Sept 2012 | 14y ago |
| Active Support ended | 18 Sept 2013 | security fixes only after this |
| Security Support ended | 26 Sept 2013 | 13y ago |
| Latest release | 6.1.6 · 21 Feb 2014 | final |
Where to go from 6
Recommended target: Apple iOS 27.
The newest actively supported branch is Apple iOS 27 (latest release 27.0.1).
Frequently asked questions
Is Apple iOS 6 still safe to use?
Apple iOS 6 reached end of life on 26 Sept 2013, 4,757 days ago, and is no longer covered by standard support. Running it means no guaranteed security fixes.
Can I still download Apple iOS 6?
Yes — the final release (6.1.6) generally remains available from vendor archives and OS package mirrors, but installing it means running software with known, unpatched vulnerabilities.
What should I upgrade Apple iOS 6 to?
Upgrade to Apple iOS 27, the newest actively supported branch.