Your older iPhone is about to lose an essential feature forever

One of the biggest benefits for buying an iPhone is the integration on offer. Apple's ecosystem is undeniably well-connected, allowing those who purchase multiple devices to enjoy a seamless user experience.

Now, though, some users of older handsets are having one key feature snatched away from them. That's because Apple has begun to notify users running iOS 8 that they will no longer be able to use iCloud for device backups.

That's coming into effect from mid-December, and even suggests that previous backups will be deleted unless you upgrade to iOS 9 or later. So it's not just new backups which are affected, but actually all of the backups you've already created.

So, what solutions are there for users? Well, the first – and most obvious – is simply to update your operating system. The latest software running on new models is iOS 18, so you're a good way behind if you're still on iOS 8. That could bring you a wide array of security and feature patches.

Still, if you haven't already done that, chances are you're either not wanting to, or not able to. If you're still using a device which can't evolve beyond iOS 8, you're left with two options.

The first, and much simpler option is to simply buy a more up-to-date phone. With Black Friday deals everywhere you turn at the moment, you're certain to find something for you.

The second is more meticulous, and involves creating a manual backup of your device. That can be done via either a Mac or a Windows PC, or via Apple Devices or iTunes if you have older software.

Ultimately, this is something which could be a nuisance to users, though in reality it's unlikely to affect too many. If you're still running this software, you're likely using an incredibly outdated device, so the news shouldn't really come as any shock.