WhatsApp will soon no longer work on a number of iPhones. Users with older iOS versions will have to update them or perhaps purchase another phone if they still want to use WhatsApp.
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Every year it’s the same thing: some apps are no longer supported on ‘old’ smartphones. For example, these smartphones were no longer supported by WhatsApp, one of the most popular apps on your smartphone. iOS users, or people with an iPhone, will already be informed this year about the upcoming measure via a notification in the iOS app, but which phones are they and why? Read it below
On which phones will WhatsApp no longer work?
On May 5, 2025, WhatsApp will no longer work on iPhones with an iOS version older than 15.1. So if you have an iPhone 5s, iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 plus, your phone is unfortunately no longer suitable for WhatsApp. Older phones should update to regain access to the app, WhatsApp reports on their support page.
Here you will see the message that WhatsApp will no longer support that version of iOS. Source: WABetaInfo
Why does WhatsApp no longer work on those versions?
We previously wrote about the fact that WhatsApp reported: “Devices and software change often, so we regularly review which operating systems we support and perform updates. These devices may also not have the latest security updates, or may lack the functionality needed to WhatsApp to run.” This now appears to be true because, according to WABetaInfo, WhatsApp wants to introduce new APIs and improved technologies in future WhatsApp versions; for example, certain extensions and performance improvements are only available on versions of iOS 15.1 and newer keeps an eye on who is still using WhatsApp on these older versions and that there may not be enough iPhones to put in the effort.