App Store Now Requires iOS 13 or Later

Apple’s upcoming-requirements page, fetched October 9, 2026, lists this requirement under “Since September 9, 2026”: “iOS and iPadOS apps uploaded to App Store Connect must target iOS 13 or later.” The same page lists a second, earlier requirement: since April 28, 2026, apps uploaded to App Store Connect must be built with Xcode 26 or later using an SDK for iOS 26, iPadOS 26, tvOS 26, visionOS 26, or watchOS 26. Source: Apple Developer, Upcoming Requirements.

Who is affected

Anyone whose project still sets a deployment target below iOS 13 and uploads a build to App Store Connect. That includes older native apps, and Flutter or React Native projects whose iOS deployment target was never raised. The page does not say anything about apps that are already live and not updated, so this guide makes no claim about them.

What to check

• The deployment target in Xcode (Build Settings, iOS Deployment Target) is 13.0 or higher.
• In a Flutter project, the platform line in the Podfile and the Runner target setting.
• In a React Native project, the platform setting in the Podfile and the minimum version supported by the React Native release you use.
• Every CocoaPod and Swift package supports your target.
• The build is made with Xcode 26 or later. See the Xcode 26 requirement guide for the SDK rule and its date.

If the upload is rejected

Read the message in App Store Connect first, because it names the rule that failed. Our App Store rejection guide covers how to reply and resubmit. See the full list of dates in the deadline calendar.

Need a hand raising the deployment target and fixing what breaks? Talk to us about App Store and Play fixes, or have us keep it current with App care.