With over two billion active users, WhatsApp is the most popular communication program on the planet. Many of us rely on the app's fun and unique features to interact with friends and family all around the world, so it's critical that it keeps working on our iPhones. Unfortunately, WhatsApp is planning to discontinue support for certain iOS versions, as well as specific iPhone models. Is one of them yours?
Let's start with the good news: you shouldn't be concerned if your iPhone is still receiving software upgrades. In fact, certain iPhones that Apple does not support with upgrades will continue to work with WhatsApp. However, some consumers will still be left in the dark. Let's see who this decrease in support affects.
What iPhones will WhatsApp stop supporting?
WhatsApp is discontinuing support for iOS 10 and 11, which were released in 2016 and 2017, respectively. While losing support is never fun, software, particularly mobile apps, is frequently abandoned beyond a certain point. Apple guarantees support for its iPhones for up to seven years; after that, any app support is a bonus, especially when the operating system is as ancient as iOS 10.
Fortunately, the decrease in support is not immediate. WhatsApp is giving users plenty of time to react before shutting down on October 24. According to WABetaInfo, some users have already received a notification advising them to update their iPhones by the fall deadline or risk losing access to WhatsApp on that device.
How to keep using WhatsApp on your older iPhone
So, how does this affect you? If your iPhone — or the iPhone of someone you know — is running iOS 10 or iOS 11, WhatsApp will not work on Oct. 24. If your iPhone is capable of running iOS 12, you should update as soon as possible, preferably before October. If you have an iPhone 5S or iPhone 6 and are running iOS 11, you should update to iOS 12. Although these iPhones will not be able to run Apple's iOS 15 and all of its capabilities, you will still be able to use WhatsApp.
What to do if your iPhone can’t update to at least iOS 12?
If you have an iPhone 5 or iPhone 5c that can't be updated beyond iOS 11, you won't be able to use WhatsApp once Meta stops supporting it. Unfortunately, the only way to fix this is to update your iPhone to at least iOS 12. However, it'll only be a matter of time before that version of iOS is no longer supported.
Our recommendation is to upgrade your iPhone to something that Apple currently supports. You also don't have to spend $1,699 on an iPhone: The new iPhone SE costs $719 and includes several modern features that you'd get on a more costly iPhone. Apps like WhatsApp will continue to support these iPhones and others like them for years to come. Look around for the mobile WhatsApp machine that best suits your needs.
WhatsApp to cut off support for iOS 10 and 11 — here are the iPhones affected
If you have an iPhone running iOS 10 or 11, Whatsapp may stop working as of October 24. According to WABetaInfo, Apple is going to remove support for iOS 10 and iOS 11 – specifically, the iPhone 5 and iPhone 5C.
Users with iPhones running iOS 10 or 11 will be required to update in order to continue using WhatsApp. Users of the iPhone 5 and 5C may need to consider upgrading their phones in order to keep the popular messaging app operating. If you need a replacement, check out our guide to the best inexpensive phones and greatest iPhones.
According to a Whatsapp support post, iOS 12 is the minimum requirement for iPhone users. If you still have an iPhone 5S, iPhone 6, or iPhone 6S, WhatsApp will continue to work for you for the time being.
It's no surprise that WhatsApp is discontinuing support for the iPhone 5 and 5C, which are ten years old. It ceased supporting iOS 9 in March of last year, and it's continuing the pattern of abandoning earlier versions this year.
Although there aren't many people using the iPhone 5 or 5C right now, there are millions of Whatsapp users who use the software to talk with family and friends, as well as for work and business. Regardless of how many iPhone 5 or 5C owners there are, this decision will undoubtedly affect them.
Go to Settings, General, Software Update, and then "Download and Install" to download the latest iOS version for your iPhone.
With WWDC 2022 just around the corner, we'll have to check if the iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, and the original iPhone SE will be compatible with iOS 16.
If Whatsapp decides to discontinue support for other software versions or updates, you can count on us to keep you informed.
WhatsApp just announced that users will be able to quit group discussions silently. Also, learn how to utilize Whatsapp Web and Whatsapp Desktop, as well as the best Whatsapp alternatives.
WhatsApp to stop working on iPhones running iOS 11 or older
WhatsApp will soon be unavailable on older iPhone models running iOS 10 and iOS 11, including all iPhones manufactured before 2014. (Getty Images) )
Millions of older iPhones running obsolete versions of the iOS operating system may soon lose WhatsApp support.
The massively popular messaging app, which has roughly 2 billion users globally, will no longer work on any iOS 10 or iOS 11 device.
This applies to any iPhone released prior to 2014, as well as any later phones that have not yet been updated to the newest software.
The iPhone 5 and iPhone 5C are among the smartphones that will not be able to upgrade to iOS 12.
According to WaBetaInfo, a site that tracks new and unpublished features within WhatsApp beta versions, the deadline to upgrade the operating system or device is October 24.
To check if they have the latest iOS version, users of WhatsApp for iPhone should go to Settings > General > Software Update. Only iPhone 5s and newer users will be able to upgrade to the required operating system to continue using WhatsApp.
Users will also need to have a pretty recent version of the Google-owned software, since support for anything older than OS 4.1, which was released in 2012, will be discontinued.
The Meta-owned app clarified which smartphone operating systems are supported in its online Help Centre, adding that iPhones "running iOS 12 and newer" will be able to use WhatsApp.
The customer support page notes, "Devices and software change frequently, so we continually assess what operating systems we support and make upgrades."
“To pick what to quit supporting, every year we, like other technology businesses, look at which devices and software are the oldest and have the fewest number of people currently using them.
"These devices may also lack the most recent security upgrades or the functionality needed to run WhatsApp."
Users using unsupported versions of iOS will receive a notification from within the app, prompting them to upgrade their software or device to keep access to their messages and contacts.