WhatsApp will soon stop working on these phones

WhatsApp is once again dropping support for some older devices. From autumn they will no longer receive support and users will probably no longer be able to use the app. These devices are affected.

WhatsApp will no longer be supported on some older iPhones starting this fall. The “WhatsAppBeta” page noticed this – the adjustment can now also be found on the official FAQ page of the messenger.

The chat service WhatsApp has noticeably lost popularity over the past year and a half: The fuss about the new terms and conditions and a general feeling of unease about the further merger of WhatsApp and Facebook has since caused millions of users to turn to alternative messengers such as Signal or Telegram.

Nevertheless, WhatsApp is still by far the most popular service with around two billion active users, which is why a larger number of users will certainly be affected by the latest adjustments.

Specifically, the point is that from October 24, 2022, iPhones with operating systems older than iOS 12 will no longer be supported.

The insider site “WABetaInfo.com” had received corresponding error messages. Until now, iOS 10 was considered the minimum requirement for WhatsApp on the iPhone.

In fact, this move has already been confirmed in WhatsApp’s official FAQ. It also says there that only iPhones with iOS 12 and newer are supported. So far, however, older devices do not seem to be locked out by an error message.

In practice, however, the step should not be too serious. Because iOS 12 is only no longer supported by the iPhone 5 and older models. The iPhone 5s can continue to use WhatsApp, just like the first iPhone SE, and all newer devices anyway.

Nothing has changed on Android so far: All devices that support at least Android Jelly Bean, i.e. Android version 4.1, will continue to be supplied with WhatsApp. Jelly Bean is no longer provided with security updates by Google itself and is vulnerable to some serious security vulnerabilities.

If you use such an old cell phone, you may still be able to chat via WhatsApp, but for security reasons you should get a modern smartphone.