When will the iPhone 13 stop updating?

No one here can answer that. We are not Apple.

We are not very good at guessing about the future, but in the past Apple has generally provided updates for 7+ years from a product's introduction date.

The iPhone 13 was introduced in September 2021, but as they say in the stock market, past results are not an indication of future performance.

read

How long will iPhone 12 receive updates? - Apple Community

and you can give apple feedback using

Product Feedback - Apple

and you can reach out to their official support channels

Get Support (apple.com)

And or

Contact - Official Apple Support

And or

Contact - How to Contact Us - Apple

Or

Genius Bar Reservation and Apple Support Options - Apple

Nobody can say for certain – but historically, iPhones have often received four to six major iOS updates, with five being typical.

The iPhone 13 shipped with iOS 15, so it has already received four major updates (16, 17, 18, and 26). Therefore, I would expect it to receive iOS 27, and maybe, if it is lucky, iOS 28. I would not expect it to receive iOS 29, since as far as I know, no iPhone has ever received seven major iOS updates.

DashaKravc wrote:

Thank you very much for the detailed answer.

Do you think it's worth buying an iPhone 13 now? Or is it a waste of money?

If you are concerned about how long a phone model will receive updates, my answer would be no, it's not worth buying an iPhone 13. But it depends on your needs and the condition of the phone. Buying used iPhone's can come with lots of issues. Since there are no new iPhone 13's made or sold any longer, you would have to buy a used one.

I wouldn't consider buying a used iPhone which could only receive a couple more years of updates. I also wouldn't buy a used iPhone from anyone other than Apple, through their Refurbished Store, which guarantees a phone which has genuine Apple Parts and would come with a full one year warranty from Apple. Buying from anyone else could be an expensive mistake. Read this --> The All Too Common SAD Reality of Buying … - Apple Community

Here is a link to the Apple Refurbished Store --> Certified Refurbished Products - Apple

DashaKravc wrote:

Thank you very much for the detailed answer.

Do you think it's worth buying an iPhone 13 now? Or is it a waste of money?

Apple discontinued the iPhone 13 a long time ago – and you can't find it even in the Certified Refurbished section of Apple's online store.

That would mean that you would be buying used. You may want to read

• The All Too Common SAD Reality of Buying a Used iPad/iPhone – Apple Community
• If you want to buy a preowned iPhone - Apple Support

to help you avoid spending good money on a useless (and possibly stolen) "brick" that will never work for you, on a phone that's locked to a carrier that you can't or don't want to use, etc.

Keep in mind that lithium batteries are consumables. An iPhone's battery should be replaced when battery health drops below 80%. A new iPhone, or Certified Refurbished one, will have a new battery; but a used iPhone may be that much closer to the day when you will have to pay for battery replacement service (if it isn't there already).

If Apple has a Certified Refurbished store in your country, you could look for phones there

Refurbished iPhone Deals - Apple

as well as looking at the ones in the new lineup

iPhone - Apple

What will happen to my iPhone if I don't update it?

You will miss out on important and very relevant security updates in addition to the new features or options that come with every major update.

Sometimes, Apple will provide security updates for an iPhone that is no longer receiving regular updates....but there are no guarantees that this will happen.

If you are looking for an iPhone with a good update future, buy the newest iPhone that you can. I would not recommend anything less than an iPhone 15, which was introduced in September 2023. Other users may have different opinions though.

If you do not update your iPhone 13 to iOS 26 or later, iMessages, FaceTime, and possibly other festivals will stop working after next January.

There are releases of iOS 15, 16, and 18 with a fix for this, but they are not available for IPhones that arr compatible with iOS 26.

You will also miss out on other bug and security fixes.