{
  "id": 19663721,
  "title": "Apple is shuttering its 28-year-old online community forum",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/12/apple-is-shuttering-its-28-year-old-online-community-forum",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-12T15:05:51.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Ars Technica",
    "slug": "arstechnica",
    "url": "https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/11/apple-is-shuttering-its-28-year-old-online-community-forum/?cndid=98112283"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Apple announced on Tuesday night that it will permanently close its online community forum, the Apple Support Community, on November 20, 2026. The announcement was made on the forum itself, which will now be in read-only mode and will no longer accept new posts.\n\nFor 28 years, the forum has provided Apple users with a platform to access quick technical advice on their devices, mostly from fellow users but occasionally from Apple employees. The forum, which traces its origins back to 1998 under the name Apple Tech Exchange, has undergone several name changes over the years. In 2011, it was revamped to include dedicated communities for specific devices and a system for tracking responses to posted questions, when it was renamed Apple Support Communities.\n\nApple reportedly decided to shut down the forum after evaluating its support strategy and customer needs. The company seems to be encouraging its customers to rely more on official Apple employees for technical support, which could have contributed to the forum's declining popularity. The forum may also have become less appealing due to the growth of rival forums, such as Reddit and the support communities on MacRumors and AppleInsider.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 6,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Engadget",
        "title": "Apple is shutting down its online Support Community on November 20",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/11/apple-is-shutting-down-its-online-support-community-on-november-20",
        "published": "2026-11-11T10:52:59.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "TechRadar",
        "title": "Apple pulls the plug on its Support Community forums after 28 years",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/11/apple-pulls-the-plug-on-its-support-community-forums-after-28-years",
        "published": "2026-11-11T12:26:48.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Register Science",
        "title": "Apple tells its Support Community to STFU",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/11/apple-tells-its-support-community-to-stfu",
        "published": "2026-11-11T12:43:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "9to5Mac",
        "title": "I feel a little nostalgic about the Apple Support Community forums, but it was time",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/11/i-feel-a-little-nostalgic-about-the-apple-support-community-forums",
        "published": "2026-11-11T13:31:53.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "AppleInsider",
        "title": "Apple Support Communities were sound and fury, but sometimes so useful",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/11/apple-support-communities-were-sound-and-fury-but-sometimes-so-useful",
        "published": "2026-11-11T15:39:27.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}