{
  "id": 19663726,
  "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-19663726",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-12T15:05:57.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Ars Technica",
    "slug": "arstechnica",
    "url": "https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/11/apple-is-shuttering-its-28-year-old-online-community-forum/?cndid="
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Apple has announced the closure of its 28-year-old online community forum, Apple Support Community, effective November 20, 2026. The announcement was made on Tuesday night via a message posted to the forum. Starting today, the site will no longer allow new posts and exists in a read-only state. Users are encouraged to seek guidance and support on the official Apple Support site. Apple expressed gratitude for the contributions made by community members over the years, noting that the forum provided a means for users to receive quick technical advice on their Apple products, often from fellow users, although Apple staff occasionally participated as well. The forum's existence has spanned various iterations and names since its inception in 1998 as the Apple Tech Exchange. Over the years, Apple has revamped the forum, introducing dedicated communities for specific devices and a system for tracking responses to posted questions. By 2022, the forum was known as Apple Support Community. Apple's decision to shut down the forum appears to be a shift towards directing customers to seek technical support directly from Apple's own employees. Additionally, the forum may have lost popularity as competitors such as Reddit and specialized communities on MacRumors and AppleInsider forums gained traction.",
  "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."
}