WhatsApp users have been warned about an impending block for months but the date when the chat app finally stops working on some devices is now almost upon us. The big change will take place in just a few days time on December 31 and will affect everyone using a Windows phone with these devices losing all WhatsApp support from that date.
This latest news follows on from similar bans that affected those owning certain Nokia and Blackberry devices with support already ending for these phones.
If you own a Windows phone you’ll now need to buy something new to continue chatting on WhatsApp in 2020 but these aren’t the only smartphones facing a block next year.
From February 1 some older Android and Apple iPhones will also be hit by a WhatsApp block.
In fact, anyone with an Android phone running anything older than version 2.3.7 will no longer be able to use the app and the same goes for iPhones with iOS 7 or older installed.
JUST IN: WhatsApp update: Three new features every Android and iPhone user needs to know about
WHEN WHATSAPP STOPPED WORKING ON SOME DEVICES
• Nokia Symbian S60 after June 30, 2017
• BlackBerry OS and BlackBerry 10 after December 31, 2017
• Nokia S40 after December 31, 2018
WHEN WHATSAPP WILL STOP WORKING ON PHONES IN THE FUTURE
• All Windows Phone operating systems after December 31, 2019
• Android versions 2.3.7 and older after February 1, 2020
• iPhone iOS 7 and older after February 1, 2020
Justifying the decision to stop supporting older hardware, WhatsApp said in a blog post: “As we look ahead to our next seven years, we want to focus our efforts on the mobile platforms the vast majority of people use.
“While these mobile devices have been an important part of our story, they don’t offer the kind of capabilities we need to expand our app’s features in the future. This was a tough decision for us to make, but the right one in order to give people better ways to keep in touch with friends, family, and loved ones using WhatsApp.
“If you use one of these affected mobile devices, we recommend upgrading to a newer Android, iPhone, or Windows Phone to continue using WhatsApp.”
So, the message appears to be clear.
If you want to keep using WhatsApp you’ll need to make sure your ageing phone is switched off and a shiny new device is popped in your pocket in its place.