Zoom, the videoconferencing system no-one had heard about until the pandemic, has announced that the most recent release is the last that will be updated for older versions of macOS.
From version 5.17.0, which will be released next month, people running macOS EI Capitan (10.11) and Sierra (10.12) will need to upgrade to 10.13 or higher to continue to receive additional Zoom app updates.
macOS EI Capitan (10.11) and Sierra (10.12) were released in 2015 and 2016 respectively.
Support for aged operating systems is a challenge for all software developers. Features that are part of the core software are changed with each subsequent release and ensuring everything stays secure and reliable when the foundations you depend on change each year can significantly add to the cost and effort of software development and maintenance.
Zoom has taken the step of saying software that was released just over seven years ago needs to either be updated or you’ll be stuck with the older software.
Keeping your operating system and apps up to date is important. As well as potentially losing support for apps you like, it’s usually much easier to handle small changes each year rather than a massive change every few years.
Anthony is the founder of Australian Apple News. He is a long-time Apple user and former editor of Australian Macworld. He has contributed to many technology magazines and newspapers as well as appearing regularly on radio and occasionally on TV.