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How's the backward compatibility of iOS 7?
- Thread starter jkauff
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Most of them will probably work but I think this is something that Apple needs to work on. The number of apps that break when iOS updates at this point is still unacceptable. I don't know of any other OS that breaks so many apps with an OS update.
As always, it is up to developers to update their apps to be compatible with new versions of iOS. Most big developers will have their updates ready for the release, some smaller developers may take a little longer. By a month or two after release, most apps are updated with the new APIs offered with the new version of iOS. Still, many apps will work even before being specifically updated for the new iOS version.
I'm a little worried. Some of the apps I use all the time (I'm thinking specifically of HD Player Pro) haven't had an update in months, which makes me wonder if the authors are still supporting them.
One of the things Microsoft does right is publish a huge list of applications when a new version of Windows come out, indicating for each one if it's compatible with the new version. They even test a surprisingly large number of freeware, shareware, and open source programs.
Can I go back to iOS 6, assuming I have a full backup, if 7 breaks some of my must-have apps?
One of the things Microsoft does right is publish a huge list of applications when a new version of Windows come out, indicating for each one if it's compatible with the new version. They even test a surprisingly large number of freeware, shareware, and open source programs.
Can I go back to iOS 6, assuming I have a full backup, if 7 breaks some of my must-have apps?
No you can't.
If I were you, I would wait to upgrade to iOS 7 until the apps you need have been updated, or, as I said, many apps will still work without being updated. So check on their sites and on here with others who use the apps to see if they're working on iOS 7.
Also, many developers haven't updated apps recently because they're waiting for iOS 7 to be released. You could always email the developers to ask.
Why does apple need to work on it? We get 4+ months to update. What more do you need?
I have 40-something apps and all of them work without any issues. If anything, some have some UI issues but nothing major.
No, developers need to work on it. As a developer you agree to keep your app up to the most current iOS version. Which is why the summer of access to iOS exists. So you have time to get your act together.
I still don't understand how some people think this is apples fault. Sure if say GarageBand crashed it would be but 3rd party apps ?
That's incorrect. If anything it's the lazy devopers who are to blame b
I don't recall any of my apps not working when updating to the latest iOS release in the past. Some have problems with the iOS 7 beta because they don't support it yet, but that will be fixed once its hits GM.
Even though developers aren't allowed to use iOS 7 APIs in coding their apps, they are allowed to test and push bug fixes for iOS 7 which they have been doing for months now. That's why the beta is released to dev's.
Early on in the betas, there were a bunch of app issues. I'd say that 10% of my apps had issues of varying degrees.
Now on Beta 6 on iPhone 5, though, all 121 of my apps are running without any issues.
So I'd say that pretty good backward compatibility for when it goes public!
Early on in the betas, there were a bunch of app issues. I'd say that 10% of my apps had issues of varying degrees.
Now on Beta 6 on iPhone 5, though, all 121 of my apps are running without any issues.
So I'd say that pretty good backward compatibility for when it goes public!
I agree that backwards compatibility is important and Apple seems less concerned with that than other platforms. With that said, many apps that wouldn't run under beta 2 now run flawlessly on beta 6 and the apps haven't been updated.
So at the risk of sounding like a broken record, all judgments should be held until GM and then we'll see which developers have some work to do. What will confuse the issue is updated apps for iOS 7 will have their own new bugs (new version of xcode, new APIs, etc.).
If stability is the prime concern then smart money is to hold off until 7.0.1 or the app publishes they are compatible with iOS 7.
That's like saying Sony needs to work on the PS4 to support ps one games, no, move on, it's up to developers to keep their apps up to date.
I use about 120 apps total. Not a single one has ever not worked correctly with a new non-beta version of iOS. I have one app I use daily that has not been updated in more than 3 years, it still works, in fact its faster on iOS7 than it is on iOS6.
lol, how much more time do you want apple to give to devs?
I know of of OS that have it worse, android for example...
You'll see that change once iOS 7 is officially released. It uses an iOS 7 SDK code, which Apple is not accepting updates for as of yet. They will soon, in order to review and have them ready for official release. Any that don't, the devs are to blame.
ever since beta 4 or 5, i also havent had any apps that didnt work. beta 1 and 2 was a different story.
First I had iOS 7 beta 1, did like how laggy it was and a apps did not work. I recently updated to beta 6 and it feels like a ready to be released system IMO. Everything works.
i wouldnt say everything, as there a few more kinks ive noticed here and there. namely, itunes homesharing when streaming music it takes a few closes/reopens before music plays correctly and every now and then i get a force close on other apps.
but i agree, besides the worse battery life vs ios 6, as a daily driver, its nearly ready.
One thing I noticed when setting up a device on iOS 7, restoring from iCloud backup, every app that auto downloads is stuck on waiting forever. So I went back to iOS 6 to set up my device, then re upgraded back to iOS 7.
Apple is pretty exceptional within the industry in terms of how much they are willing to break things when they release a new OS (iOS or Mac OS).
Other companies like Microsoft and Google do not work like that.
If Apple was less aggressive in terms of changing things, then more Apps would just continue to work.
Really? I can't see how. Android updates don't generally break APIs. Google doesn't really have a pre-release period, primarily because it doesn't release updates that break things!
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