WhatsApp has become a pretty indispensable tool for millions of iPhone users in recent years, so much so that some may be forced into updating their devices later this year.
From October this year, the Meta-owned company will cut off iPhone devices running iOS 10 and iOS 11, which are currently among the supported operating systems, as spotted by a report from WABetaInfo.
Although Apple does an admirable job of keeping devices supported for a number of years after release, that will mean some handsets become obsolete from a WhatsApp perspective – namely the iPhone 5c and iPhone 5 models.
A post on the WhatsApp support site already lists the change, claiming it supports and recommends an “iPhone running iOS 12 and newer”.
In a new beta for the iPhone version of the app, WhatsApp is telling users to “Update to the latest version of iOS to continue using WhatsApp.”
The notification continues: “WhatApp will stop supporting this version of iOS after 24 Oct 2022. Please go to Settings > General, then tap Software Update to get the latest iOS version.”
Of course, that won’t be possible for the handsets no longer able to upgrade to iOS 12. So, it’ll be a case of upgrading the phone itself, if they’re using an iPhone 5/c. Considering the iPhone 5c is now nine years old, it’s probably about time for an upgrade!
The spirit of those devices lives on with the iPhone SE models, the newer of which are available for £419 these days.
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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.
