WhatsApp to stop working on iPhones running iOS 11 or older
Messaging app warns devices ‘might not have the latest security updates, or might lack the functionality required to run WhatsApp’
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Your support makes all the difference.WhatsApp will soon end support for millions of older iPhones running outdated versions of the iOS operating system.
The hugely popular messaging app, which has around 2 billion users worldwide, will no longer be compatible with any device using iOS 10 or iOS 11.
This includes any iPhone that came out before 2014, as well as any newer phones that have yet to upgrade to the latest software.
Among the devices cut off are the iPhone 5 and iPhone 5C, which are unable to upgrade to iOS 12.
The deadline to upgrade the operating system or device is 24 October, according to the site WaBetaInfo, which tracks new and unreleased features within beta versions of WhatsApp.
Users of WhatsApp for iPhone are advised to go to Settings>General, then tap Software Update to find out if they have the latest iOS version. Only people with an iPhone 5s or newer will be able to upgrade to the necessary operating system needed to continue using WhatsApp.
Android users will also be required to have a relatively up-to-date version of the Google-owned software, with WhatsApp ending support for anything older than OS 4.1, which came out in 2012.
The Meta-owned app updated details in its online Help Centre to clarify which mobile operating systems are supported, stating that iPhones “running iOS 12 and newer” will be able to use WhatsApp.
“Devices and software change often, so we regularly review what operating systems we support and make updates,” the customer support page states.
“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.
“These devices also might not have the latest security updates, or might lack the functionality required to run WhatsApp.”
Any WhatsApp users running unsupported versions of iOS will be notified directly within the app, urging them to upgrade their software or device in order to retain access to their messages and contacts.
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