Apple Keeps iTunes Alive in 2026 for Legacy Macs, Windows PCs and iTunes Match

3 articles · Updated · Boy Genius Report · Aug 16

2026 support still includes iTunes on legacy Macs and Windows PCs, while the iTunes Store and iTunes Match remain accessible inside Apple’s current software ecosystem.
2019 marked iTunes’ breakup on macOS Catalina, with Apple shifting music, podcasts and TV into separate apps and moving device syncing to Finder as it pushed subscriptions such as Apple Music and Apple TV.
Early 2024 brought a similar phaseout on Windows, replacing much of iTunes with Apple Music, Apple TV, Devices and iCloud, though iTunes still handles podcast and audiobook syncing.
macOS Golden Gate, due in fall 2026, still shows an iTunes Store section in Apple Music, underscoring how Apple has trimmed iTunes without fully eliminating it.