If your iPhone or Android smartphone is running on an old operating system, now is a good time to update. Find out how...
We love WhatsApp at iD Mobile, and we’re not the only ones. The messaging app has 300 million daily users worldwide and a million daily registrations. It’s a great way to share memes with mates and stay in touch with family.
Over the past month or so, we’ve seen a number of articles claiming that WhatsApp will stop working on many handsets from late January. If you have an old smartphone that runs on an old OS, unfortunately, it’s true. And if you use a Windows phone, you may have noticed that WhatsApp has already stopped working.
Since WhatsApp are no longer developing for these older operating systems, according to WhatsApp, some features might stop functioning at any time. They also went on to say that if your phone runs on any of the affected software. Plus, you won’t be able to create a new account or reverify an existing one.
Don’t worry though! We’ll tell you exactly which phones will be affected, and what you can do to keep your mates’ group chat alive and kicking:
Android
The new update will affect any Android phones running software older than Android 4.0.3 (Ice Cream Sandwich). Since this version was released in 2011, the chances are you’ve updated your OS since. If you’re not sure though, simply go to Settings > General > Software Update. Or, for some phones, go to Settings > About Phone.
The WhatsApp update should only impact phones that are over 10 years old, but many of these devices can still be updated to a newer version of Android. To see if you can install a more recent OS, just head to ‘Software Update’ in your Settings. You’ll still be able to use WhatsApp on your phone once it’s up-to-date.
iOS (Apple iPhone)
iPhones running iOS 8 or earlier will be affected by the WhatsApp update at the end of January. Some iPhones will be able to update to iOS 9, but not all. The iPhone 6s and later models are safe, but if you have an older model, it could be affected. Here is a list of older iPhones and whether they can update to iOS 9:
- iPhone 6 / 6 Plus – Can update to iOS 9
- iPhone 5 / 5s / 5c – Can update to iOS 9
- iPhone 4s – Can update to iOS 9
- iPhone 4 or older – Cannot update to iOS 9 and will lose WhatsApp functionality
That’s everything we know about the upcoming WhatsApp update. Is your phone on the list of handsets that’ll no longer receive WhatsApp support? Then maybe it’s time to upgrade. Head over to iD Mobile to check out all our great deals!