WhatsApp has announced a list of Android versions it will no longer provide support for from Monday. The update means users using such devices will lose their chats if they have not been backed up and exported yet.
WhatsApp has also recommended that users with such devices shift to one it supports to continue using the world’s largest instant messaging service. WhatsApp, owned by Meta (erstwhile Facebook Inc), will continue to support devices running Android 4.1 and later. The messaging platform also supports newer versions of the iOS and KaiOS operating systems.
WhatsApp updated its FAQ page and announced that it would no longer support devices running Android 4.0.4 or older versions. “WhatsApp will no longer support Android phones running OS 4.0.4 and older on November 1, 2021,” the company said in its updated FAQ page.
It has advised affected users to switch to save their chat history before the deadline and migrate to a supported device. “Please switch to a supported device or save your chat history before then.”
“We provide support for Android devices that meet the following requirements: a) Your Android phone is running OS 4.1 and newer; b) Your Android phone is able to receive SMS or calls during the verification process,” WhatsApp said.
WhatsApp has not defined the devices it will no longer support. Users can check the Android version of their devices from the ‘About phone’ section in the Settings page.
Alongside Android 4.1 and later versions, WhatsApp also supports iPhones running on iOS 10 (iPhone 5 and later models) and newer versions, as well as feature phones such as the Jio Phone and Jio Phone 2 that run the KaiOS 2.5.0 and later.
“We offer limited support for Android tablets with an active SIM card and don’t support Wi-Fi only devices. You’ll also need a data plan in order to receive messages when outside the range of a Wi-Fi network,” WhatsApp’s FAQ page reads.
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