Why WhatsApp could stop working on your old smartphone

How old is your smartphone?

Messaging platform WhatsApp wants to know, as it will no longer work on some versions of smartphones starting November 1st, 2021.

This is after the Facebook owned service provider posted on its blog that it would discontinue service for smartphones running on old operating systems (OS). 

“WhatsApp will no longer support Android phones running OS 4.0.4 and older on November 1, 2021. Please switch to a supported device or save your chat history before then,” wrote WhatsApp on its FAQ blog. 

Apple users with iPhones running on the iPhone Operating System (iOS) older than version 10 are also no longer supported by WhatsApp. 

The November 1st deadline will potentially lock out thousands, if not millions of users globally whose devices run on older versions of the operating systems. 

WhatsApp made a similar move in early 2020 when it stopped service for devices running on Android 2.3.7 and older and iPhone’s iOS 8 or older, cutting off millions of smartphones from its platform. 

Security concerns

And on 1st January 2021, another update locked out smartphones running on iPhones’ iOS 9 or older and Android 4.0.3 or older, locking out more devices from the service including all iPhone models up to the iPhone 4 and Samsung Galaxy S2 among others. 

Users can check the version of the operating system under ‘Settings’ on their smartphones to determine whether this change affects them. 

The move to discontinue service on smartphones running on older operating systems is driven by security concerns. According to WhatsApp, the discontinuation is necessary in order to protect the security of its users.

As newer versions of smartphone operating systems are rolled out, older ones tend to get neglected and devices running on them no longer receive over-the-air (OTA) security updates from manufacturers.

“Please switch to a used device or save your chat history before that time. There is no option to transfer your chat history between platforms. However, we have the option to transfer the chat history as an email attachment,” stated the WhatsApp blog.