In the past two months, for no apparent reason, I’ve noticed a surge in emails from Mac OS and iOS developers, offering me the opportunity to test their apps, with no obligations to subsequently write a review; they just ask an honest opinion. Very often their email would mention that they chose to contact me based on a past article I wrote, or for vague things like ‘user interfaces being important to me’.

The pattern I noticed in these emails is that they all seem to follow the same format. There’s briefness, initial pleasantries, a quick description of what the app does, the offer of a redeemable code, and a concluding ‘no strings attached’ statement.

I haven’t responded to any of these — except the first one, which sounded genuine, until I received the exact same email with a different free code two days after my reply. My lack of reaction isn’t out of spite or because I’m busy or because I’m not interested, or whatever. It’s much simpler: I’m currently running Apple devices that do not fulfil the system requirements of your apps.

This situation is unlikely to change in the near future.

Mac OS

My main machine, an M2 Pro Mac mini is currently on Mac OS 13.7.8 Ventura. I plan to upgrade it to Mac OS 14 Sonoma before the end of the year, and that’s it.

Either of the following has to happen for me to update my Mac OS installation to the most current:

1. Apple delivers an incredibly overhauled Mac OS release that reverts all of the visual UI degeneration happened with Mac OS 26 Tahoe, with better first-party apps, and that features a general return to the many solid UI/UX practices we lost along the way. At the moment, this seems unlikely to happen.
2. I purchase a second-hand machine capable of running the latest Mac OS, exclusively dedicated to test the interface and compatible software. At the moment, this seems unlikely to happen. I lack the funds and frankly the will to invest in another Apple machine, but feel free to send donations towards this goal, or even used Macs if you’re located in Europe.

To anticipate your question: yes, I’m willing to run an outdated version of Mac OS on my main Mac. It has a better UI, it has better software, it doesn’t have any ‘AI’-related features. It’s a familiar place I have no intention to disrupt to install something I cannot bring myself to even look at.

iOS / iPadOS

My main smartphone has not been an iPhone since late 2024. What was my primary iPhone, and the iPhone I still use on occasion to interact with iOS apps I still love (photo apps in particular) is a third-generation iPhone SE running iOS 17.6.1. This iPhone, at the time of writing, can still be updated to the latest version of iOS (26; I don’t know whether it’ll support iOS 27), but I don’t plan to update it past iOS 18, for two main reasons:

1. Like with Mac OS, I despise the Liquid Glass æsthetic introduced with iOS 26, both from a visual and functional standpoints.
2. There are a few older apps I’m particularly fond of, which will cease to work if I update.

As for iPadOS, I still use an eight-generation iPad, currently on iPadOS 18. Again, this iPad could be updated to a newer version of iPadOS, but for now I’m keeping it on iPadOS 18. This is the only device I could maybe update to iPadOS 27 if it’s still supported. I don’t use this iPad that often and I don’t have particular apps I need to preserve, so that’s a possibility.

Conclusion

Feel free to contact me and propose I check your Mac OS/iOS app out, but if your app:

1. Requires Mac OS 14 Sonoma or later
2. Requires iOS/iPadOS 26 or later
3. Is made with ‘AI’ tools or facilitates the use of other ‘AI’ tools or ‘AI’-based services
4. Does not offer a one-time purchase (at a reasonable price) and its revenue model is exclusively subscription-based

then don’t bother.