WhatsApp will soon cease to support another round of older versions of iOS and Android. As described in the recently updated WhatsApp system requirements, you must have a device running at least iOS 9 or Android 4.0.3 to access WhatsApp after January 1, 2021.
Notable devices that will lose support for WhatsApp next year include the iPhone 4, Samsung Galaxy S2 and the Droid Razr.
WhatsApp’s move is not surprising. All technology is left behind at some point, and now it seems to be an annual WhatsApp tradition. Last year, the company removed even older Android devices, iPhones and all Windows phones from its list of compatible devices, and we suspect that there will be another round of cuts in twelve months.
These changes are likely due to Facebook’s recent integration of direct messages from WhatsApp, Messenger and Instagram into a single cross-platform service that doesn’t work well with older operating systems.
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That said, most affected devices are about ten years old and are no longer compatible with the operating system updates themselves. So, if you’re still holding an old iPhone, this may be another sign that it’s time to upgrade.
If your device is still eligible, but your operating system is not, be sure to update your smartphone to meet the new WhatsApp requirements. You can check your version of Android and if there are any updates available at Settings> About phone. IPhone users can do the same in Settings> General> Software update.
If your device’s operating system is very low and no updates are available, it may also be worth researching WhatsApp alternatives if you don’t want to buy a new phone. We can’t guarantee that other chat apps will also support your very old smartphone, but it’s worth exploring if WhatsApp is interrupting you.
This article was originally published in December 2019 and updated on December 30, 2020 with new WhatsApp requirements.
[BGR]