1. Install the latest update now: Settings → General → Software Update. You should see iOS 27.0.1 (or iOS 26.7.1 if you chose to stay on iOS 26). 2. Keep using it. An iPhone SE (2022) is fully supported in October 2026, including for banking, DigiD and work email. 3. Plan ahead, don't panic. If iOS 28 (expected around September 2027, going by Apple's usual timing) leaves it out, it will still get security fixes for a while. That's a good moment to start budgeting for a replacement. 4. Thinking of buying one used? It's a fine small phone in 2026, but it may be one or two major versions from the end. If you want a phone for many years, a newer model will most likely get updates for longer, so weigh the price difference against the extra years.

When Does the iPhone SE (2022) Stop Getting Updates? (October 2026 answer)

Q: When does the iPhone SE (2022) stop getting updates?

Short answer: not yet. The iPhone SE (3rd generation), the 2022 model with 5G and the A15 Bionic chip, is on Apple's list of iPhones that run iOS 27, the newest version, released on 14 September 2026. The latest update is iOS 27.0.1 (28 September 2026). Apple never announces an end-of-support date, so nobody can give you an exact one. Based on how Apple treated older iPhones, our estimate is that the iPhone SE (2022) stops getting new major iOS versions in 2027 or 2028, with security-only fixes for a few years after that, roughly until 2030. That's our reading of Apple's history, not a promise from Apple.

Q: What happens when updates stop?

- First, no new iOS features. The phone stays on its last major version and gets small security-only updates for a while. - Then the fixes thin out. Security-only updates for old versions tend to be smaller and less frequent, and Apple doesn't announce when they end. - Apps follow eventually. Banking, payment and messaging apps start requiring a newer iOS version at some point, not overnight. The iPhone 13 has the same chip and is likely on the same path. Read When does the iPhone 13 stop getting updates? to compare, When does the iPhone 12 stop getting updates? for a model a year older, or Is the iPhone X still supported? to see what life after the last major version looks like.

Updated 17 October 2026

Short answer: not yet. The iPhone SE (3rd generation), the 2022 model with 5G and the A15 Bionic chip, is on Apple's list of iPhones that run iOS 27, the newest version, released on 14 September 2026. The latest update is iOS 27.0.1 (28 September 2026). Apple never announces an end-of-support date, so nobody can give you an exact one. Based on how Apple treated older iPhones, our estimate is that the iPhone SE (2022) stops getting new major iOS versions in 2027 or 2028, with security-only fixes for a few years after that, roughly until 2030. That's our reading of Apple's history, not a promise from Apple.

The facts (checked 17 October 2026)


Released	18 March 2022, with iOS 15
Chip	A15 Bionic (the same chip family as the iPhone 13)
Current iOS version	iOS 27 (released 14 Sep 2026), supports iPhone 11 and later, plus iPhone SE (2nd generation and later)
Latest update	iOS 27.0.1, 28 Sep 2026
Still on iOS 26?	iOS 26.7.1 (28 Sep 2026) is also available
Official end-of-support date	None published by Apple

Apple's How to download iOS 27 page lists "iPhone SE (2nd generation and later)" as compatible, which includes the 2022 model. The Apple security releases page lists iOS 27 on 14 September 2026, followed by iOS 27.0.1 and iOS 26.7.1 on 28 September 2026. So right now the iPhone SE (2022) gets exactly the same updates as the newest iPhones.

Apple also looks after owners who stayed on an older version: on 1 and 22 April 2026 it shipped iOS 18.7.7 and iOS 18.7.8 security updates that list "iPhone SE (3rd generation)" by name.

Not sure which SE you have? The 2022 model is the one with 5G and three colours: midnight, starlight and (PRODUCT)RED. It looks almost the same as the 2020 model (2nd generation), which is also still on the iOS 27 list. The original 2016 iPhone SE is a different story (see below).

How long will it keep getting updates? (our estimate)

Apple doesn't publish a support period for older iPhones, so the best guide is what it did before. All dates below come from Apple's own pages.

iPhone SE (1st generation) (announced 21 March 2016, with iOS 9 and the A9 chip): got seven major versions, up to iOS 15. iOS 16 (12 Sep 2022, "iPhone 8 and later") dropped it, about 6½ years after launch, at the same time as the iPhone 6s, which used the same A9 chip. Security-only updates kept coming: iOS 15.8.8 arrived on 11 May 2026, more than three and a half years later.
iPhone SE (2nd generation) (in stores from 24 April 2020, with iOS 13): still on the iOS 27 list, along with the iPhone 11 from 2019.
iPhone 8 (2017) and iPhone XS (2018): dropped about 6 and 7 years after launch (by iOS 17 in 2023 and iOS 26 in 2025), and both still got security fixes in 2026 (iOS 16.7.16 on 11 May 2026, iOS 18.7.10 on 17 August 2026).

The iPhone SE (2022) is now 4½ years old and has had six major versions (iOS 15, 16, 17, 18, 26 and 27; Apple jumped from iOS 18 to iOS 26 in 2025). Because it uses the same A15 Bionic chip as the iPhone 13, and the first SE was dropped together with the same-chip iPhone 6s, our best guess is that the SE (2022) will follow the iPhone 13. That points to iOS 27 or iOS 28 being its last major version, so it could drop off the list in September 2027 or September 2028. That would be only five and a half or six and a half years after it went on sale, a little shorter than other iPhones, because the SE got an older chip when it launched.

After that, Apple has so far kept shipping security-only fixes for two to three years or more (the first SE was still getting them three years and eight months after iOS 16 dropped it), which points to roughly 2030, give or take a year. Treat all of this as an educated guess. Apple can change course at any time, and it's under no obligation to follow its old pattern.

What happens when updates stop?

First, no new iOS features. The phone stays on its last major version and gets small security-only updates for a while.
Then the fixes thin out. Security-only updates for old versions tend to be smaller and less frequent, and Apple doesn't announce when they end.
Apps follow eventually. Banking, payment and messaging apps start requiring a newer iOS version at some point, not overnight.

The iPhone 13 has the same chip and is likely on the same path. Read When does the iPhone 13 stop getting updates? to compare, When does the iPhone 12 stop getting updates? for a model a year older, or Is the iPhone X still supported? to see what life after the last major version looks like.

What should you do?

Install the latest update now: Settings → General → Software Update. You should see iOS 27.0.1 (or iOS 26.7.1 if you chose to stay on iOS 26).
Keep using it. An iPhone SE (2022) is fully supported in October 2026, including for banking, DigiD and work email.
Plan ahead, don't panic. If iOS 28 (expected around September 2027, going by Apple's usual timing) leaves it out, it will still get security fixes for a while. That's a good moment to start budgeting for a replacement.
Thinking of buying one used? It's a fine small phone in 2026, but it may be one or two major versions from the end. If you want a phone for many years, a newer model will most likely get updates for longer, so weigh the price difference against the extra years.

Buying a used replacement?

A cheap used phone can still be a bad deal if it's Activation-Locked, reported stolen, carrier-locked or close to its own end-of-support date. Our own guide, Safe to Buy Used? The Second-Hand Phone & Gadget Checklist, walks you through every check before you pay. It's a paid PDF we make ourselves; you can also check models for free on our iPhone 11 page, iPhone 13 page, iPhone 15 page and the full device list.

Weighing up alternatives? Our ranking of which used or refurbished phone to buy in 2026 sorts popular models by years of updates left.

Looking for a replacement with years of updates left? Compare prices for iPhone 15 at bol.com or iPhone 16 at bol.com (search results; check the seller, condition and warranty before you buy).

Affiliate disclosure: bol.com links are affiliate links; we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. See our disclosure.

Sources

Apple, How to download iOS 27 (published 17 Sep 2026, checked 17 Oct 2026)
Apple, Apple security releases (published 28 Sep 2026, checked 17 Oct 2026)
Apple, Apple security updates (2022 to 2023) (checked 17 Oct 2026)
Apple Newsroom, Apple announces the new iPhone SE (8 Mar 2022, checked 17 Oct 2026)
Apple Newsroom, iPhone SE: A powerful new smartphone in a popular design (15 Apr 2020) and Apple Introduces iPhone SE (21 Mar 2016) (checked 17 Oct 2026)
Apple Newsroom, Apple introduces iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini (14 Sep 2021) and Apple introduces iPhone 6s & iPhone 6s Plus (9 Sep 2015) (checked 17 Oct 2026)