WhatsApp may soon be dropping support for your mobile OS, if you’re someone with an ancient phone, that is.
Earlier this year, the company announced via its blog, that it would be killing support for a range of mobile operating systems by the end of the year, before updating the page to say some will be supported until June 30, 2017.
With 2017 fast-approaching, then, those using Android 2.1, Android 2.2, Windows Phone 7, or an iPhone 3GS/iOS 6 will do well to upgrade before year-end.
Related: WhatsApp tips and tricks
BlackBerry OS and Blackberry 10, Nokia S40, and Nokia Sumbian 260 users have until June 30 next year to get an upgrade sorted.
In the blog post, the company wrote: “When we started WhatsApp in 2009, people’s use of mobile devices looked very different from today. The Apple App Store was only a few months old. About 70 percent of smartphones sold at the time had operating systems offered by BlackBerry and Nokia.
“…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.”
Still stuck on iOS 6? Time to upgrade
Today, the lion’s share of devices – about 99.5% – run on software developed by Google, Apple, or Microsoft, so the move makes a lot of sense from the company’s perspective.
Facebook-owned WhatsApp said it needed to focus on bringing new capabilities to its service, which the listed OSs simply don’t provide.
Back in August, the firm announced an update to its terms and conditions that would see it start to share user data, including phone numbers, with Facebook.
The move caused somewhat of an uproar, with the Information Commissioner’s Office stepping in to stop the planned change in the UK.
If you are about to lose WhatsApp support, then, at least you know your data isn’t going to be shared. But we’d recommend upgrading anyway, if there’s anyone out there actually still using iOS 6.
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Let us know if you’ll be affected by the upcoming change in the comments.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
