The new year could start with a change for some Whatsapp users. From 1 January, the app will no longer work fully on many devices.
Kassel – As always, when a year comes to an end, you have to deal with some of the changes that come with the end of the year. Not all are positive in nature. It was recently reported that some users of the Whatsapp messaging service will no longer be able to use the app as usual from next year.
The reason for Whatsapp deactivation on January 1, 2023 on some mobile phones is said to be due to software updates. The operating systems of the affected mobile phones are no longer sufficiently developed, he reports tn3.de with reference to Technical blog Gizchina. The operation of the popular messaging service will be stopped for a total of 49 smartphone models. But it’s true? Whatsapp doesn’t create lists of supported devices, only operating systems, a spokesperson explains spiegel.
Mobile phones with old operating systems are said to be affected by the closure of Whatsapp in January
“We currently support the following devices, which we also recommend for using Whatsapp,” reads the Whatsapp site:
- Android devices from Android version 4.1
- iPhones with iOS 12
- KaiOS phones since KaiOS 2.5.0, including JioPhone and JioPhone 2
Whatsapp soon no longer usable for many? What’s behind the warnings
All older operating systems are therefore not supported. Whatsapp should be loud on iPhones running iOS 10 and iOS 11 Gizchina it has stopped working since october 24th. Also, many Android models are affected. Gizchina names, among other things, the following smartphones on which Whatsapp should soon no longer be usable:
- Apple iPhones 5 and 5c
- HTC Desire 500
- Huawei Ascend: D, D1, D2, G740, Mate and P1
- Lenovo A820
- LG Optimus: 4X HD, F3, F3Q, F5, F6, F7, L2II, L3II, L3II dual, L4II, L4 II dual, L5, L5II, L5II dual, L7, L7II, L7II dual, Nitro HD
- Samsung Galaxy: Ace 2, Core, S2, S3 mini, Trend II, Trend Lite, XCover 2
- Sony Xperia Arc S, mirò and Neo L
- (Those: gizchina.com, Booth: 29.12.2022)
Whatsapp: Some operating systems are no longer supported
Whatsapp will be discontinued for affected devices on December 31, it reports Gizchina. Those who have already installed Whatsapp should initially be able to continue using the app, however, he reports t3n.de. However, it is no longer possible to create a Whatsapp account on the affected mobile phone or re-verify an existing account. Another reason why Whatsapp may still work on the mentioned devices is that the list was not created by Whatsapp itself, and therefore it has not been officially confirmed which devices are affected.
Whatsapp users can check for themselves if their mobile phone is compatible with the operating systems specified by Whatsapp. For iPhone 5 and 5c models, for example, iOS 10 is mentioned as the latest compatible iOS. Since iOS 11, templates no longer listed by Apple. It is generally not recommended to use operating systems that no longer receive security updates, even though the app should continue to work. (kiba, sne)
Whatsapp regularly releases updates: only recently there was a new feature that users should activate for data protection. There is also a new feature on Whatsapp for deleting messages.
