eBay users became upset Tuesday morning when they were unable to update to the latest version of the eBay app on their mobile phones, rendering the app useless. People responding on discussion boards told them they could still access eBay through their phone’s browser, not an entirely satisfactory answer for some.
Tuesday’s issue arose when the Apple App Store informed customers who were trying to update the eBay app that they had to have iOS 17 to download the eBay mobile app, but that is not the case, according to eBay.
On Tuesday morning, an eBay moderator pinned a thread on the eBay Mobile Apps board containing the following instructions on how to update to the latest version of the eBay app, as long as they had iOS 16 installed on their Apple device:
If your eBay app is requiring an update here are the steps to get updated. We recommended you install any system updates that are available for your device.
iOS –
Delete the eBay app from your phone
Open the iOS app store
Search for eBay
Install eBay*
*If your device has iOS 16 the app store will say you need iOS 17 (see screenshot), but it should still download a version to your phone. If you are on iOS 15 or older you can continue to use eBay in your browser.
Android –
Perform all system updates
Open the Google Play store
Search for eBay
Install/Upgrade eBay*
If you are on Android 10 or older you can continue to use eBay in your browser.
eBay moderators also responded to those reporting problems in individual threads with the same set of instructions. Note that a screenshot accompanying the directions shows the Apple App Store advising people when downloading the eBay app: “The current version requires iOS 17.0 or later, but you can download the last compatible version.”
It may come as a surprise, but many people are happy with older phones – and they expect to be able access the latest app versions without having to upgrade to a new phone.