Users will need to purchase another cell phone or use another messaging app. Find out more!
The WhatsApp messaging app will stop working completely on some Android and iOS phones later this year, and the news has shocked some users. Posts about this case have gained some attention recently, but the information has not been made official by the app or by Meta, the company responsible for it.
Some updates are necessary for WhatsApp to work properly, with its new features available. As a result, some older devices end up not being able to keep up with the application's new features, which prevents it from working.
Learn more about this topic and find out when and which cell phones WhatsApp will stop working on soon.
WhatsApp will stop working
WhatsApp is a very popular application and has billions of users worldwide. In Brazil, the app is one of the most used by people who want to exchange personal or professional messages. However, the platform will soon stop working on several cell phone models with the Android and iOS operating systems.
The app will be discontinued due to a lack of updates to the mobile operating system, as the app will only be compatible with models running Android 5.0 or later. The app is currently compatible with Android 4.1 and 4.4.
With this change, phones with Android operating systems lower than 5.0 will no longer receive app updates. The change will also affect iPhones with iOS 12, such as the iPhone 6 and its predecessors.
Application and compatibility
When WhatsApp stops being compatible with a version of an operating system, whether Android or iOS, users can no longer update the app and fix system bugs and lose support in general. This compromises the app's functionality on the device, preventing it from being used.
Some devices have already started to suffer from the shutdown, but the Goal reported that the application will only be compatible with Android 5.0 from October. The company, however, did not explain the shutdown that began to occur in some models since July.
WhatsApp's support changes happen every year. Last year, the app stopped offering support on iPhones running iOS 10 and iOS 11.
When it stops supporting a certain cell phone model, the platform informs users that they can choose to purchase a cell phone with a more recent operating system or start using a new messaging application.
Devices that may lose support
According to Meta itself, WhatsApp will stop offering support for 47 cell phone models from different manufacturers, such as Samsung, LG, Huawei, Sony and Apple. As a result, many users may buy new models so as not to lose the various tools and features that the application offers.
Among the cell phones that will lose support are:
– Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S;
– Sony Experia Miro;
– Sony Xperia Neo L;
– Huawei Ascend D;
– Huawei Ascend D1;
– Huawei Ascend D2;
– Samsung Galaxy Ace 2;
– Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini;
– Samsung Trend Lite;
– iPhone 5;
– iPhone 5C;
– LG Enact;
– LG Lucid 2;
– LG Optmus F3;
– LG Optimus F5;
– Lenovo A820, among others.
