iPhone owners warned they could be throwing away money after 'hidden' rule change
There's nothing worse than paying for a subscription that you're not even using, but one recent rule change could leave you out of pocket and out of memories so you should definitely watch out.
Apple are certainly known for their hidden features and rule changes, as your iPhone is home to a whole manner of game-changing tricks that you would otherwise have no idea about.
From a device-saving privacy setting to a feature that allows you to use your phone even after its died, there's plenty that you should pay attention to in all the nooks and crannies of your Apple gadget.
The flip side of this, however, is the number of hidden rule changes that Apple like to activate that can mess customers around.
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The latest of these involves iCloud, and if you've got an older device you might want to be careful.
Apple have recent changed it so that the minimum system requirements to access iCloud and store backups is at least iOS 10 on iPhone 5, 6th generation iPod touch, 4th generation iPad/iPad mini 2.
This extends to watchOS 3 on Apple Watch, macOS Sierra 10.12 on a Mac, tvOS 4 on Apple TV (4th gen), and visionOS 1 on Apple Vision Pro.
If you're looking at those words with no idea what they mean, iOS is your device's operating system, which is what drives all of its features. Updating your phone often enhances the operating system, and Apple periodically release new versions, which currently situates us at iOS 18 for the latest phones.
Older devices reach a point where they're unable to receive new operating system updates though, and that's where this gets tricky.
Once the deadline of December 18 is reached, all iCloud backups and access will be permanently removed if you're on a device below the minimum system requirements, meaning you'll potentially lose access to thousands of old photos, videos, and documents that you've stored on the cloud.
There is little way around this outside of paying for a new device, and it all depends on how much you use the cloud-based service.
Alternatively, if you're currently subscribed to iCloud+ then you'll need at least iOS 15 in order to backup your data and use the other services.
These include things like iCloud Private Relay, HomeKit Secure Video, and Hide My Email - which Gmail looks to be copying in their next update.
In order to check what version of iOS you currently have installed, simply open the Settings app, select 'General', and then 'Software Update'. Here it should show you your iOS version, and give you the option to update if you can too.
You might also want to keep an eye out for some incoming cash too, as there's currently a $3 billion lawsuit against Apple regarding iCloud.
It's alleged that the iPhone maker hasn't given users suitable alternatives for cloud storage - which has come back to bite anyone with an old device here - so it's definitely something to keep tabs on.