Overview
- Starting June 1, WhatsApp will only run on iPhones updated to iOS 15.1 or newer and Android devices running Android 5.1 or newer.
- Affected Apple devices include iPhone 5s, iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, while legacy Android handsets such as the Samsung Galaxy S4 and Galaxy Note 3 will no longer support the app.
- Users should back up their chat history before the cutoff to ensure conversations transfer seamlessly to a new device.
- Meta says the update cycle is needed to protect users from vulnerabilities on hardware and software that no longer receive security patches.
- WhatsApp has also rolled out a chat lock feature and improved disappearing messages in its latest privacy-focused enhancements.