WhatsApp users, rejoice. Despite having recently announced plans to kill support for hundreds of devices, the Facebook-owned messenger has had a last minute change of heart.
With support for BlackBerry and Nokia devices having been scheduled to be knocked on the head “by the end of 2016”, WhatsApp has now reversed its decision.
Instead, WhatsApp has confirmed that support for BlackBerry 10, BlackBerry OS, Nokia Series 40 and Sybian Series 60 based handsets will be extended until June 30, 2017.
Sure, that’s only six months away, but if you’re still rocking one of these aged handsets, that’s six crucial months to score yourself and upgrade or make a casual migration to a new messaging platform.
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Despite offering a stay of execution for some devices, not all platforms are escaping the cull.
Before the year’s out, support will be ceased for devices running Windows 7.x, iOS 6 and both Android 2.1 Eclair and Android 2.2 Froyo.
Why? Well as well as the relatively tiny number of these devices still in use, according to WhatsApp it’s all about a lack of progression options.
“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,” the company is reported to have said.
Run WhatsApp on a recent iOS or Android device such as the iPhone 7 or Samsung Galaxy S7? Then you’ve not got a thing to worry about, WhatsApp will support your handset for years to come.
WATCH: Trusted Explains: Buying a new smartphone
Do you know anyone still rocking a BlackBerry or Nokia handset? Let us know 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.
