Meta has decided to discontinue the WhatsApp application on certain smartphones starting next month, specifically for older versions of the Android and iOS operating systems. Meta, the owner of Facebook, routinely phases out updates for older versions of iOS and Android whenever new updates are released. To update the WhatsApp application, Android 4.1 or higher is required, and this change will take effect after October 24. Most newer smartphones will only be able to update their operating systems to continue using WhatsApp.
To use the application on your iPhone, you will need at least iOS 12, meaning devices like the iPhone 5 and iPhone 5C will be affected. WhatsApp is currently developing a new feature that will allow users to edit sent text messages; however, it is unclear if there will be a specific time limit for editing sent messages. WhatsApp surveys customers about which versions should stop receiving updates, so each year, similar to other tech companies, it reviews older devices and software that still have a low number of users.
WhatsApp is dropping support for old smartphone operating systems to maintain application security, which requires ongoing work and updates from developers.
