Quick answer: Shopify requires the POS app to be updated at least every 180 days — older versions stop being supported and eventually stop working. To update: open the App Store (iPhone/iPad) or Google Play (Android), search “Shopify POS” and tap Update — or in the app go to More > Support > View device information and follow the update prompt. Then turn on automatic updates so this never interrupts a sale again.
If you have received an email from Shopify saying your Shopify POS version will no longer be supported — with a deadline and a version number (for example, “version 11.5 will no longer be supported on November 2, 2026”) — this guide explains exactly what that means, what happens if you ignore it, and how to update every device in a few minutes.
Why you got the “update your Shopify POS” email
Shopify releases a new version of the POS app roughly every two weeks, and it formally supports each version for a limited window. Since November 2023, Shopify requires the app to be updated at least once every 180 days from your last update. When a version you are running approaches the end of its support window, Shopify emails the store owner with the deadline and the devices affected.
The email is genuine housekeeping, not marketing: the deadline in it is real, and it applies per device. If several iPads or iPhones at different locations run old versions, each one needs the update.
What happens if you don’t update by the deadline
Once your version passes its end-of-support date, Shopify can stop the app from working until it is updated — their own wording is that you must update “to avoid any service interruptions.” In practice that risks the worst-case retail moment: a checkout line and a POS that will not sign in. Do not schedule this for launch day or a tradeshow morning — update as soon as the email arrives.
Step 1: Check which version each device is running
On each device running Shopify POS:
- Open the Shopify POS app.
- Tap More (the ≡ section in the bottom navigation).
- Tap Support > View device information.
You will see the app version and the device’s OS version. If an update is required, the app shows a prompt here — follow it to download the latest version.
Step 2: Update the app
On iPhone or iPad
- Make sure the device is connected to the internet.
- Open the App Store, tap your profile icon, and scroll to pending updates — or search for Shopify POS.
- Tap Update next to Shopify Point of Sale.
- Reopen Shopify POS and confirm the new version under More > Support > View device information.
On Android
- Open Google Play, tap your profile icon > Manage apps & device.
- Find Shopify POS under available updates and tap Update.
- Reopen the app and confirm the version as above.
If the update won’t appear: update the device first
Shopify POS requires a reasonably current operating system (Shopify’s documentation has listed iOS 15.1 or higher as the floor, and it rises over time). If the App Store or Play Store shows no update available, the device’s OS is usually the reason:
- Update the device: Settings > General > Software Update (iOS) or Settings > System > System update (Android).
- Then check the app store again for the POS update.
The older-iPad trap: if the device is too old to receive the OS version Shopify requires, it cannot run supported POS versions at all. Plan a hardware refresh before the deadline rather than after a checkout fails — this is the single most common way retailers get caught out.
Step 3: Turn on automatic updates (so this never happens again)
iPhone/iPad: Settings > App Store > turn on App Updates under Automatic Downloads.
Android: Google Play > profile icon > Settings > Network preferences > Auto-update apps.
One caveat from Shopify’s own guidance: automatic updates apply to all apps on the device, not just POS. On a dedicated register device that is exactly what you want. If the device also runs apps you need to version-pin, leave auto-updates off and put a monthly “update POS” reminder in your calendar instead — well inside the 180-day rule.
Running many registers? Use MDM
If you run multiple locations with many POS devices, checking each iPad by hand does not scale. Shopify supports Mobile Device Management (MDM) tools for rolling out POS updates across a fleet centrally — worth setting up once you pass a handful of devices. It also lets you stage updates (test on one device, then roll out) instead of trusting every register to auto-update overnight.
New to Shopify POS?
If you are setting up in-person selling for the first time, start with our complete guide to Shopify POS — hardware, plans, and how it syncs with your online store. And if your retail setup needs custom work (custom receipts, integrations, multi-location logic), that is what our Shopify development team does.