Overview
- WhatsApp raised its Android minimum to Android 6.0 or later in early September, which means phones stuck on Android 5.0 or 5.1 can no longer receive official app updates.
- Meta has scheduled a new iPhone requirement for November 30, 2026 that will require iOS 15.5 or later and will leave models such as the iPhone 6 and earlier unsupported.
- News lists cite many legacy models likely affected, including older Samsung Galaxy, first‑generation Moto G and E, several LG and Sony Xperia models, and iPhone 6 and prior devices, but actual impact depends on the phone’s installed OS and whether the maker issued updates.
- WhatsApp’s deprecation is gradual: unsupported phones first stop getting app updates, then may face login, messaging and calling errors, and can eventually lose the ability to run the app.
- Users should immediately back up chats to Google Drive or iCloud and transfer data to a newer phone because restoring history requires a device that can run the updated WhatsApp, and low‑income or remote users risk losing access if they cannot replace old hardware.