WhatsApp has declared that it will no longer support certain iPhones and Android phones. The decision was revealed in a blog post on the company’s website and affects devices running Android version 5.0 (Lollipop) or earlier.
Users of these older operating systems are advised to update their software or switch to newer mobile phones.
Those who have been using WhatsApp on Android 4.1 or 4.4 have likely already received alerts about this change. From tomorrow, the app will not launch on these devices and will only display a notice with a button for more information.
While users could attempt to bypass this issue by altering the date settings on their phones, this is only a temporary solution.
It also prevents them from using the chat feature unless they put their phone on airplane mode. Users have a 24-hour window to transfer their WhatsApp data to an Android smartphone running Android 5.0 or later.
The best course of action is to transfer conversations directly, without relying on Google Drive. This is because Google has also stopped supporting Google Play services on the Android version ‘KitKat’.
This move by WhatsApp is part of a broader trend among tech companies to phase out support for older devices and operating systems, encouraging users to keep their technology up-to-date. However, it may cause inconvenience for those who are unable or unwilling to upgrade their devices.
