WhatsApp discontinues support for older smartphones on a regular basis, so it’s not surprising that approximately 50 handsets will lose WhatsApp support this year. This is the second time in the past three months that WhatsApp has discontinued support for a significant portion of Android and iOS smartphones.
The last time this occurred was in October, when WhatsApp announced it will no longer support at least 40 Android handsets manufactured by Samsung, Huawei, LG, Sony, ZTE, HTC, Lenovo, and Alcatel.
This time, WhatsApp revealed that it will no longer support roughly 50 mobile devices, including the iPhone 5 and iPhone 5c from Apple. The remaining phones on the list are manufactured by ZTE, Samsung, Huawei, LG, Sony, and Lenovo.
These phones will no longer be supported because they have not had an update in a very long period. It appears WhatsApp has increased the requirements for its software, so devices that do not run at least Android 5.0 Lollipop or iOS 12 are no longer compatible.
Currently, WhatsApp’s FAQ states that it is compatible with Android devices running OS 4.1 and later. However, many (if not all) of the phones that will lose WhatsApp functionality at the end of the year run Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, thus we have some doubts about the veracity of the report.
According to GizChina, the list consists primarily of entry-level and mid-range smartphones. If you are using one of these smartphones, you will likely need to switch to a newer phone in order to continue using WhatsApp and receive updates.
Apple
- iPhone 5
- iPhone 5c
Archos
- Archos 53 Platinum
ZTE
- ZTE Grand S Flex
- ZTE Grand X Quad V987
- ZTE Memo V956
HTC
- HTC Desire 500
Huawei
- Huawei Ascend D
- Huawei Ascend D1
- Huawei Ascend D2
- Huawei Ascend G740
- Huawei Ascend Mate
- Huawei Ascend P1
- Huawei Ascend D quad XL
Lenovo
- Lenovo A820
LG
- LG Enact
- LG Lucid 2
- LG Optimus 4X HD
- LG Optimus F3
- LG Optimus F3Q
- LG Optimus F5
- LG Optimus F6
- LG Optimus F7
- LG Optimus L2 II
- LG Optimus L3 II
- LG Optimus L3 II Dual
- LG Optimus L4 II
- LG Optimus L4 II Dual
- LG Optimus L5
- LG Optimus L5 Dual
- LG Optimus L5 II
- LG Optimus L7
- LG Optimus L7 II
- LG Optimus L7 II Dual
- LG Optimus Nitro HD
Samsung
- Samsung Galaxy Ace 2
- Samsung Galaxy Core
- Samsung Galaxy S2
- Samsung Galaxy S3 mini
- Samsung Galaxy Trend II
- Samsung Galaxy Trend Lite
- Samsung Galaxy Xcover 2
Sony
- Sony Xperia Arc S
- Sony Xperia miro
- Sony Xperia Neo L
Wiko
- Wiko Cink Five
- Wiko Darknight ZT
The vast majority of these phones have already been discontinued, therefore it makes sense for WhatsApp to redirect its resources to where they are required the most. The phones listed above should theoretically no longer be able to run WhatsApp as of December 31. There are, of course, workarounds that allow WhatsApp users with incompatible devices to continue using the application, but this merely delays the inevitable.
According to WhatsApp, when deciding which devices and software to stop supporting, the firm considers which are the oldest and have the smallest user base. This implies that even if your phone runs an earlier version of Android, it may still be supported if WhatsApp determines that there are still a significant number of users using that device.
Consequently, when Apple and Google continue to release new iOS and Android upgrades, WhatsApp will phase out older devices running its application. To continue receiving the same level of support as all other WhatsApp users, it is necessary for users to upgrade to newer handsets.
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