WhatsApp has dropped support for a selection of older mobile operating systems, the company has revealed.
The messenger app no longer works on handsets that run the following:
- Android versions older than 2.3.3
- Windows Phone 8.0 and older
- iPhone 3GS/iOS 6
- Nokia Symbian S60
- BlackBerry OS and BlackBerry 10
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It’s not exactly a shock announcement. After all, all of the platforms listed above are either extremely old or not very popular.
It will soon also drop support for:
- Nokia S40 (on December 31, 2018)
- Android versions 2.3.7 and older (on February 1, 2020)
- iOS 7 and older (on February 1, 2020)
WhatsApp will continue to work on these platforms until the cut-off dates listed above, but it’s no longer possible for people using these OSes to create a new WhatsApp account. What’s more, the firm says that some features may stop working at any point.
It recommends upgrading to a phone running:
- Android 4.0 and above
- iOS 8 and above
- Windows Phone 8.1 and above
“Once you have one of these devices, simply install WhatsApp and verify your phone number on the new device. Keep in mind that WhatsApp can only be activated with one phone number on one device at a time,” it wrote in a blog post.
“There’s currently no option to transfer your chat history between platforms. However, we provide the option to send your chat history attached to an email.”
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Here’s how to save your chat history on Android, iOS, Windows Phone and Nokia S40.
Are you stuck on an outdated platform? Why haven’t you upgraded your handset? Share your thoughts with us @TrustedReviews.
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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.
