End of an era: Apple Support Community forums will permanently close on November 20

Users visiting the Apple Support Community tonight were greeted with a message informing them that the platform will permanently shut down on November 20. Here are the details. If you have ever had a question or ran into a problem with an Apple product, chances are you have come across the Apple Support Community, the company’s official discussion forums where users from around the world help each other troubleshoot issues and share tips. The platform has a history dating back to at least 1998, when it was known as Apple Tech Exchange. Since then, it was renamed Apple Discussions before relaunching as Apple Support Communities in April 2011, with a redesigned interface, personalized profiles, and a reputation system that rewarded users for helping others. Tonight, however, users who tried to access the platform were greeted with the following message: The AppleCare Support Community will permanently close on November 20, 2026. Starting today, the site will no longer accept new posts and is available in a read-only state. You can continue to find trusted guidance and support on the official Apple Support site. We want to thank the community members who have contributed their time and expertise to help others with their Apple products. Right now, the portal still shows a “Sign in” button, though it leads only to an AppleConnect login page labeled “AC Communities Web – Internal,” suggesting that access is now restricted to Apple employees. Interestingly, Apple’s message refers to the “AppleCare Support Community,” rather than the “Apple Support Community,” which is how the platform is officially branded. Still, the forums are already in read-only mode, with users able to browse existing discussions, search for answers, and interact with posts through the “Me too” and voting buttons, but no longer submit new questions or replies. At the time of writing, the most recent post was published just 57 minutes earlier, suggesting that Apple only recently disabled new submissions. 9to5Mac has reached out to Apple for comment and clarification on the scope of the shutdown, and we’ll update this story if we hear back. (h/t Tim Harbison) Worth checking out on Amazon Apple HomeView Apple TV 4K Apple Watch Series 12 AirPods Pro 3 AirTag (4 Pack) FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.