With 2020 coming to a long-awaited close, Facebook’s proprietary instant messaging app WhatsApp will also no longer be compatible with some older Android and iOS smartphones as we approach the new year. WhatsApp will stop working on certain Apple Android phones and iPhones, with the primary criteria being that they still run on an old operating system. WhatsApp is expected to stop working on smartphones that do not run on at least iOS 9 or Android 4.0.3 operating systems. WhatsApp’s support page recommends users to use the latest version of their operating system to enjoy all the features, and says that WhatsApp for iPhones requires iOS 9 or later, while WhatsApp for Android runs on Android 4.0.3 and later versions.
While there may not be many smartphones currently running on these outdated operating systems, WhatsApp’s user base is so large that even a small demographic would be quite a large number. For Apple’s iPhone lineup, all iPhone models through iPhone 4 will lose WhatsApp support next year. This means that those who are using the iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPhone 5S, iPhone 6 and iPhone 6S will need to update their operating system to iOS 9 or later to continue using WhatsApp, if an update is available, that is. .
For Android, WhatsApp will stop working on smartphones running on a version of Android prior to 4.0.3. Again, not many devices currently run on a version of Android prior to 4.0.3. However, some of the models are HTC Desire, LG Optimus Black, Motorola Droid Razr, and Samsung Galaxy S2. There may be other Android smartphones running on an older version of Android that will lose support for WhatsApp as 2020 draws to a close.
Some users may still use WhatsApp on their older smartphones, as their operating systems may have received a patch with an update. However, for others, the only solution may be to get a brand new smartphone. To find out what operating system their phone is running on, iPhone users can go to Settings> General> Information, where you will find information about the version of the software on their iPhone. Android users, on the other hand, can go to Settings> About phone to see what version of Android their smartphone is running on. In the settings app, also check for any software updates that may be available, which could extend WhatsApp support on your phone and save you some money for now.
WhatsApp ends support for older iOS and Android smartphones at the end of each calendar year. Last year, WhatsApp ended support for smartphones running iOS 8 or earlier, and Android phones running version 2.3.7 or earlier.
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