With the year 2020 coming to a much awaited close, the Facebook-owned instant messaging app WhatsApp will also end support on some old Android and iOS smartphones as we head into the new year. WhatsApp will stop working on certain Android phones and Apple iPhones, with the primary criteria being that they still run on an old operating system. It is expected that WhatsApp will stop working on smartphones that are not running 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 in order to enjoy all features, and says that WhatsApp for iPhones requires iOS 9 or later, while WhatsApp for Android is running on Android 4.0.3 and newer.
While there may not be not a lot of smartphones that are currently running on these dated operating systems, WhatsApp’s user base is so large that even a small demographic would be a pretty big number. For the Apple iPhone line-up, all the iPhone models up to the iPhone 4 will lose support for WhatsApp 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 in order to continue using WhatsApp, if an update is available, that is.
For Android, WhatsApp will stop working on smartphones that are running on an Android version earlier than 4.0.3. Again, not a lot of devices currently run on an Android version earlier than 4.0.3. However, some of the models are the HTC Desire, LG Optimus Black, Motorola Droid Razr, and the Samsung Galaxy S2. There may be other Android smartphones that could be running on an older Android version that may lose support for WhatsApp as 2020 comes to a close.
Some users may still continue to 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 new smartphone altogether. In order to find out what operating system your phone is running on, iPhone users can go to Settings > General > Information, where you will find information about the software version on your iPhone. Android users, on the other hand, can go to Settings > About Phone to see which Android version their smartphone is running on. In the settings app, do also check for any software updates that may be available, which could extend WhatsApp support on your phone and save you some money for the time being.
WhatsApp ends support for older iOS and Android smartphones at the end of each calendar year. Last year, WhatsApp ended support for smartphones running on iOS 8 or older, and Android phones running on version 2.3.7 or older.
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