# Lifecycle and support


> How long each Screenly Player generation is supported, what end of life means for a device, and what to do when one reaches it.
A player is supported for as long as the ScreenlyOS version it runs is supported. That version is built on Ubuntu Core, and each Core release has its own timeline set by Canonical, which is why devices bought at different times reach the end of support at different times.

## Support timeline

| Generation | Supported until |
| --- | --- |
| Core 24 | 2034 |
| Core 20 | 2030 |
| Core 18 | 2028 |
| Core 16 | Ended June 2026 |
| Raspberry Pi 3 based players | Ended December 2025 |
| V1 players | Ended 2018 |

If you are on a Raspberry Pi 3, move to a Pi 4, a Pi 5, or a Player Max.

> [!NOTE]
> Your Core version is not shown in the dashboard. {{< support-link "Ask support" >}} and we will tell you where a given player stands.

## What end of life means

The operating system version or hardware generation stops receiving security updates and support from its maintainer. In practice:

No further security patches, so the device becomes more exposed over time.

No new Screenly features or app compatibility updates for that device.

Less that our support team can do about platform-specific problems.

The player generally keeps running and keeps playing your content. That is the part that catches people out: nothing visibly breaks on the end-of-life date, so an unsupported fleet can sit unnoticed for a long time.

## What to do about it

Replace the device before or shortly after its date rather than waiting for a failure. A screen that is still playing is not evidence that it is still supported.

If you are planning a replacement round, {{< support-link "talk to us" >}} with the models and rough counts, and we will tell you which of them have time left.