Overview
- The cutoff takes effect around October 31–November 1, with users on unsupported phones seeing message failures and degraded access before losing service entirely.
- Coverage consistently lists Android 5.0 or earlier as unsupported and cites iOS 15.1 or earlier in many reports, though some outlets still reference iOS 12 as the minimum, reflecting conflicting guidance.
- Examples of affected devices include Samsung Galaxy S3/S4 Mini/Note 2/S5, Motorola Moto G (1st gen) and Moto E (2014), LG Nexus 4/G2 Mini/G3, Sony Xperia Z-series, Huawei Ascend Mate 2, HTC One M8, and iPhone 5/5c/5s/6/6 Plus.
- Users are urged to back up chats to Google Drive or iCloud, check for OS updates, and migrate to a compatible phone if needed, with number verification requiring SMS or a call rather than Wi‑Fi only.
- Separately, WhatsApp is beta-testing EU-only interoperability that enables one-to-one and group chats with third‑party apps, alongside trials for chat-level storage controls, Meta AI image creation for Status, and limits on messages to new contacts to curb spam.