Safari sync to stop working on some iOS versions

According to another support article published on Apple’s website, devices running versions prior to iOS 11 will no longer sync Safari bookmarks via iCloud. Users with affected devices won’t lose their current bookmarks, but new bookmarks won’t sync with other devices and vice versa. The change will also affect Macs running versions prior to macOS Sierra 10.12.5.

Apple says users will have to update their devices to iOS 11 or later or macOS Sierra 10.12.6 or later to keep syncing their Safari bookmarks via iCloud. For those who don’t have a compatible device, the company will make Safari bookmarks available on iCloud.com.

Moving forward, iCloud Bookmarks can keep your Safari bookmarks up to date across all your devices — just make sure that all of your devices are updated to iOS 11 or later and your Mac is updated to macOS Sierra 10.12.6 or later. You can also sync bookmarks to a Windows PC using iCloud for Windows and the iCloud Bookmarks browser extension.

iOS 11 was the first version of Apple’s operating system to run exclusively on 64-bit devices, which made it incompatible with devices such as the iPhone 5, iPhone 5c and iPad 4 – which are stuck on iOS 10. When it comes to macOS, Macs released in 2012 and later can be upgraded to macOS Sierra at least to keep Safari bookmark synchronization working.

The news comes after Apple also announced that iCloud backup will stop working on devices running versions between iOS 5 and iOS 8. According to Apple, current backups on unsupported devices will also be deleted from the cloud. Both changes will come into effect on December 18, 2024.

About bookmarks in iOS 10 or macOS Sierra or earlier

Starting December 18, 2024, devices will require iOS 11 or later, iPadOS 11 or later, and macOS Sierra 10.12.6 or later to sync bookmarks or access bookmarks on iCloud.com. This is in accordance with our published minimum software requirements. If your device is already running updated software, no action is required.

Devices with iOS 10 and earlier or macOS Sierra 10.12.5 and earlier will no longer be able to sync bookmarks across devices and new bookmarks will no longer be uploaded from those devices. You won’t lose any bookmarks already on your devices and you’ll still be able to create new bookmarks on those devices. However, new bookmarks won’t sync across devices with iOS 10 or earlier and macOS Sierra 10.12.5 or earlier. They also won’t be recoverable on iCloud.com.

Moving forward, iCloud Bookmarks can keep your Safari bookmarks up to date across all your devices — just make sure that all of your devices are updated to iOS 11 or later and your Mac is updated to macOS Sierra 10.12.6 or later. You can also sync bookmarks to a Windows PC using iCloud for Windows and the iCloud Bookmarks browser extension.

If you can’t update your device

If you can’t update one of your devices to iOS 11 or later, macOS Sierra 10.12.6 or later, or iCloud for Windows 11 or later and you want to share your bookmarks with another browser or device, you can copy or export your bookmarks.

Copy or export your bookmarks

On your iPhone or iPad, you can copy bookmarks: Open Safari, tap the Bookmarks tab, then touch and hold the folder or bookmark that you'd like to copy. Select Copy Contents, then paste in a note or file, or paste in another browser and save as a new bookmark.

On your Mac, you can export your bookmarks: Open Safari, then choose File > Export > Bookmarks. Choose where you want to export the file, then click Save. The file’s name is Safari Bookmarks.html unless you change it.

If you’re not able to update all of your devices, your iCloud Bookmarks might not sync between your devices.