WhatsApp which is owned by Facebook would stop working on certain phones from 2020, reports revealed.
Recall that last year, Facebook the owner of WhatsApp stopped allowing new accounts to be created on Windows Phones because it had stopped developing updates for the platform, therefore there would not be new updates or features for the OS.
According to reports, WhatsApp will also stop support for older Apple and Android devices. This decision by WhatsApp will affect devices that run Android gadgets on 2.3.7 and older and iOS 8. Facebook (WhatsApp’s parent company) stated that after December 31,2019 you will be unable to use the app on these devices.
Although with this new development, you will still be able to log into WhatsApp by visiting the site in your phone’s web browser.
Apple had also reported that only 7% of its devices worldwide are running OS older than iOS 12, an operating system that was released in 2018.
However, WhatsApp will be supporting android devices on 4.0.3 and higher and iOS 9 upwards.
“This was a tough decision for us to make, but the right one in order to give people better ways to keep in touch with friends, family, and loved ones,” the app company said.
Handsets running iOS 7 or older, and Android 2.3.7 and older, will lose access to WhatsApp on February 1.
All these devices are relatively old. There have been no new Windows 10 Mobile handsets since 2015, and iOS 7 and Android 2.3.7 are from 2013 and 2010 respectively.
Here is the list of all the operating systems that will not support WhatsApp from next year:
- Android versions 2.3.7 and older
- iOS 8 and older
- All Windows OS phones from 31 December, 2019
WhatsApp also listed the operating systems that the app supports and recommends users to use the following updated devices:
- Android running OS 4.0.3+
- iPhone running iOS 9+
- Select phones running KaiOS 2.5.1+, including JioPhone and JioPhone 2
