WhatsApp ends support for 49 older iPhones and Android devices
WhatsApp will stop working on the iPhone 5c and dozens of other smartphones in January as part of an annual review of compatible devices.
On its support page, WhatsApp revealed that it would end support for phones with older iOS software and Android versions, which are no longer receiving security updates from manufacturers.
That means Apple users running iOS 11 on devices such as the iPhone 5 and 5c will have to upgrade to a new handset to continue using WhatsApp.
Android users on older smartphones must do the same, as it will only run on Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) and later versions.
WhatsApp said: “To choose what to stop supporting, every year we, like other technology companies, look at which devices and software are the oldest and have the fewest number of people still using them.”
Fortunately, WhatsApp isn’t cutting off access without prior warning.
The Meta-owned company said it would notify users in the app several times before support is pulled.
This notification will advise users to upgrade to newer handsets to use WhatsApp.
In total, 49 iOS and Android handsets will no longer be officially supported from the 31st of December.
WhatsApp stopped working on some unsupported iPhones back in October.
The company revealed that its decision to end regular updates is often a necessity as certain devices might “lack the functionality” to run effectively and securely.
Any users who cannot update to newer versions of iOS and Android will have to upgrade as the app will eventually stop working.