Apple will permanently close its Apple Support Community discussion forums on November 20, ending more than 25 years of user-to-user technical help that began with the Apple Tech Exchange in 1998.
The forums at discussions.apple.com became read-only on November 10 and no longer accept new questions or replies. The most recent reply on the site is stamped 5:49pm Pacific Time that day, which is roughly when posting stopped.
A banner now appears on every page of the site. “The Apple Support Community will permanently close on November 20, 2026. Starting today, the site will no longer accept new posts and is available in a read-only state,” it reads.
The notice directs users to Apple’s main support site, adding: “You can continue to find trusted guidance and support on the official Apple Support site. We want to thank the community members who have contributed their time and expertise to help others with their Apple products.”
Until the deadline, users can still open threads, browse boards and search past answers, and they can still use the “Me too” and voting buttons on existing posts. They can’t post anything new.
The Sign in button is still on the site, but it now leads to an AppleConnect login page labelled “AC Communities Web – Internal”, which suggests only Apple employees can now sign in. Regular members can’t get back into their accounts.
Apple hasn’t said what will happen to the existing threads after November 20, and it hasn’t offered an export tool. Neither the forum’s Use Agreement nor its points guide mentions a way to download posts.
Users who want to keep a thread can save it as a PDF before the deadline. On a Mac, Safari’s File menu has an Export as PDF option. On an iPhone or iPad, users can tap Share, choose Print, then use the Share button in the print preview to save a PDF to the Files app. Bookmarks may not work after the closure, because the links will break if the pages are taken down.
Contributors who want a record of their own answers can find them by searching their profile.
Apple’s notice links only to support.apple.com, which hosts the company’s official troubleshooting articles. Users who need a person can chat with Apple in the Apple Support app on iPhone or iPad, call Apple Support on the number for their country or region, or go to getsupport.apple.com, choose a product such as iPhone, Mac, iPad or their Apple Account, and pick how they want help. Repairs and Genius Bar appointments can also be booked through the Apple Support app.
The forums started as the Apple Tech Exchange in 1998 and were renamed Apple Discussions in 2000. In April 2011 they relaunched as the Apple Support Communities, with a redesigned interface, personalised profiles and a reputation system that rewarded users for helping others. They took their current name, Apple Support Community, in 2022.
