Apple Support Community to close for good on November 20

The Apple Support Community, the company's official user-to-user help forum, will close permanently on November 20, 2026, and it stopped accepting new posts on Tuesday, November 10. The Verge reported that the site is now read-only, and Apple has not said what will happen to the decades of existing discussions once it shuts down.

For millions of iPhone, iPad and Mac owners, the forum was a first stop for troubleshooting. Its closure ends a service that began 28 years ago.

What Apple said about the Apple Support Community

Apple displayed a banner on the site. In summary, it says the community will permanently close on November 20, no new posts are allowed from now on, and the site stays available in a read-only state until then. Apple points users to the official Apple Support site for what it calls trusted guidance and support, and it thanks the members who contributed their time and expertise.

MacRumors reported that Apple told it the decision came after a careful evaluation of strategy and customer needs. Apple gave no further explanation, and neither The Verge nor MacRumors reported a warning before the change. The Verge said it has asked Apple for comment.

A short history of the forum

According to The Verge and MacRumors, Apple offered an online discussion forum for user-to-user support from 1998, when it launched as the Apple Tech Exchange. Over the years it was renamed several times:

• Apple Discussions, in 2000;
• Apple Support Communities, in 2011;
• Apple Support Community, in 2022.

9to5Mac noted that the 2011 relaunch added personalised profiles and a reputation system that rewarded people for helping others. Some volunteers took part for decades, and MacRumors said a few had tens of thousands of posts.

What happens to the old answers

This is the biggest open question. Apple has not said whether the archive will be kept. The Verge suggested the posts may disappear along with the platform, but that is the outlet's presumption rather than something Apple confirmed.

For now, readers can still browse and search existing threads. The sign-in button no longer lets ordinary users take part: 9to5Mac and MacRumors observed that it leads to an internal Apple employee portal.

Where users can go instead

Apple recommends its official support pages, and customers can still contact Apple Support directly. MacRumors listed other places where Apple users already discuss problems, including the MacRumors Forums and Reddit.

If you rely on a solution you found in the forum, it is sensible to save the link or note the steps before November 20. Those who run Apple devices in Thailand may also find answers through local Apple support channels and authorised service providers, though Apple has not announced any regional changes.

Why it matters

The forum was open for anyone to read, so its archive holds a long tail of practical fixes. If Apple does not keep that archive, those answers may be hard to find elsewhere.

Community forums have been a free support layer for tech companies, with volunteers answering questions that would otherwise reach paid staff. Their closure fits a wider shift towards AI-assisted help and official documentation, a theme we have followed in our report on Apple's Gemini AI deal.

Other tech stories we are tracking include Google's Pixel Tag and the findings of a Thai AI survey. Both show how consumers and companies are changing the way they find help and information online.

The shutdown date is close, so users have little time to act. After November 20, the Apple Support Community will no longer be available as a place to ask or answer questions.

The original report was published by The Verge.

Image: Apple Park in Cupertino, California, the company's headquarters, illustrating the Apple Support Community closure. Photo by IPhone01 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.