This archive report was first published on 11 December 2019.
As of December 31, 2019, WhatsApp will no longer support Windows phones running Windows 8.0 and below, while Android phones with OS 2.3.3 and below, and iPhones with iOS 8 and older will lose access to the service by February 1, 2020.
The move is aimed at ensuring more security for WhatsApp users, as these older devices cannot support some of the app's key security features.
Users can still retrieve their chats by updating to newer versions of their operating systems, but many older phones may not be able to support the new OS.
Majorly affected are iPhone 5s and 5c models released in 2013, as well as older versions of Huawei and Samsung devices, and Motorola phones.
According to the independent UK, this is not the first time WhatsApp has ended support for older phones, having previously done so in 2017 for Nokia Symbian S60, BlackBerry OS, and BlackBerry 10, and in 2018 for Nokia S40 devices.
WhatsApp urges its users to upgrade to iOS 9 or later for iPhones, OS 4 for Android devices, and Windows 8.1 and above for Microsoft, as from February 2020, they will no longer create or reverify existing accounts.
Alternatively, users can export their chats with or without media so they can access them in future.
WhatsApp stated, 'We want to focus our efforts on mobile devices that the majority of people use. While the devices have been of great support to us, they don’t offer the kind of capabilities we need to expand our application features in the future.'
