'Pokémon Go' will no longer work on older iPhones

Not only is Apple deliberately slowing down older iPhones, Niantic is going to stop supporting Pokémon Go on older iPhones too.

Niantic will stop supporting Pokémon Go on older iPhone models that can't upgrade to iOS 11 after Feb. 28, the developer announced Tuesday. This means players who have an iPhone 5, 5C, or older will no longer be able to play Pokémon Go from those devices.

Niantic explained in the announcement that is ceasing support of older devices because of updates added to game which makes it too demanding on the older phones' operating system, which can cause the app to crash. But don't worry if you primarily play Pokémon Go on older iPhones — you can still access your Pokémon Go account from compatible devices.

"[Players] using affected devices may no longer be able to access their Pokémon Go accounts from that device, or use their PokéCoins or other items in their bags," Niantic said in its statement. "They will need to switch to a supported device to continue playing Pokémon Go."

This kind of phasing out of support for older devices is pretty common in smart phone apps, although many developers of smaller apps don't make warning announcements like these.

Since launching in July 2016, Pokémon Go has frequently added new updates and features to make the app more enjoyable and keep people playing. Along with adding new Pokémon to capture, Niantic has added raid features, weather conditions, and improved augmented reality features that both make the game look better and make it a bit more taxing on smartphone hardware.