London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Jul 22, 2025

WhatsApp will stop working on thousands of phones next week

WhatsApp will stop working on thousands of phones next week

WhatsApp, the most popular messaging app in the world, is about to stop working on thousands of phones.

The Facebook-owned app is set to stop support for older phones around the world on November 1, 2021.

It will cease to function on up to 43 different smartphone models as it shifts the requirements for the Android and iOS operating systems.

In the FAQ section on its website, WhatsApp says people should use phones running Android version OS 4.1 or iPhones running iOS 10 and newer.

If you haven’t updated your system software recently, then you may well escape having to upgrade. But a few select devices – of which there could be thousands still being used – will lose security and feature updates.

And, in the very unlikely case you’re running WhatsApp on a Linux-based phone, you’ll need to update to KaiOS 2.5.1.

Which phones will lose access to WhatsApp?
Many older phones can still be updated to newer versions of the operating system


Here’s a list of smartphone models that WhatsApp will stop supporting from next week.

That doesn’t necessarily mean the app will cease to function – but it does mean you’ll no longer be able to download patches and updates, which could leave it open to crashes or bugs or – in some cases – security exploits.

Apple


The iPhone SE (2016), 6S and 6S Plus. These models launched with iOS 9 but can be updated through to iOS 15 to continue to support WhatsApp.

Older iPhones that cannot be updated past iOS 10 will lose access. At present, that now includes the iPhone 4S from 2011.

Samsung


The Samsung Galaxy Trend Lite, Galaxy Trend II, Galaxy SII, Galaxy S3 mini, Galaxy Xcover 2, Galaxy Core and Galaxy Ace 2.

LG


The LG Lucid 2, Optimus F7, Optimus F5, Optimus L3 II Dual, Optimus F5, Optimus L5, Optimus L5 II, Optimus L5 Dual, Optimus L3 II, Optimus L7, Optimus L7 II Dual, Optimus L7 II, Optimus F6, Enact , Optimus L4 II Dual, Optimus F3, Optimus L4 II, Optimus L2 II, Optimus Nitro HD and 4X HD, and Optimus F3Q.

ZTE


The ZTE Grand S Flex, ZTE V956, Grand X Quad V987 and Grand Memo.

Huawei


The Huawei Ascend G740, Ascend Mate, Ascend D Quad XL, Ascend D1 Quad XL, Ascend P1 S, and Ascend D2.

Sony


The Sony Xperia Miro, Sony Xperia Neo L, Xperia Arc S.

Others


The Alcatel One Touch Evo 7, Archos 53 Platinum, HTC Desire 500, Caterpillar Cat B15, Wiko Cink Five, Wiko Darknight, Lenovo A820, UMi X2, Faea F1 and THL W8.

What to do if your phone is too old
It may be time for an upgrade


The most obvious answer is, unfortunately, you’ll need to think about paying to upgrade your phone.

However, there is a way you can save your chat history if you don’t want to see it gone when you move on to a different handset.

You can back up your message history to Google Drive or iCloud depending on which platform you use (iOS or Android). Alternatively, you can export your chat history as an email attachment.

WhatsApp regularly updates its list of supported handsets which get access to the app’s latest features – such as disappearing messages.

These were introduced in November and let you send vanishing messages in individual conversations and group chats. The most recent feature included the option to quickly join an ongoing group audio or video call.

Comments

Sid 4 year ago
Or you can just join Telegram or Signal like many others

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
×