WhatsApp Will Stop Working on These Older Phones, but You Don’t Need to Worry

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WhatsApp is a popular messaging app in most parts of the world. It’s so widely used that it’s consistently held the title of the most-used messaging app globally. Part of that is because it only requires Android 5.0 (Lollipop) to run, and those who are still using it might have something to worry about.

WhatsApp is dropping support for Android 5.0 phones

As spotted by folks at WABetaInfo, WhatsApp will end support for devices running Android 5.0 in a few months. The deadline is September 8, 2026, after which, if your smartphone is running Android 5.0, you won’t have much choice. It will require Android 6 or newer to run.

To put it more simply, Android 5.0 launched in late 2014, which means it’s well over a decade old now. Phones from that era can’t run most newer features, and their hardware isn’t as capable either. The new minimum requirement of Android 6.0 is still fairly generous, considering it also launched around late 2015.

So, if you want to keep using WhatsApp on your phone, you should check whether your device has a pending Android update. If it doesn’t, you’ll likely need to get a new one, and honestly, you probably should. Devices from over a decade ago just don’t have the hardware to handle modern apps properly.

You could go with a budget option, like the Galaxy A17 5G in the US. There are also carrier deals that can get you a phone for very little money. It’s worth checking those out, along with any ongoing Samsung phone offers.

Written by

Abhinav Anand

Abhinav Anand is the News Editor at SammyGuru and a technology journalist based in New Delhi. Before joining SammyGuru, he contributed to numerous outlets, including Android Headlines, ExtremeTech, The Mac Observer, Financial Express, Economic Times, iGeeksBlog, KnowTechie, PhonesWiki, SlashGear, and more. You can reach him at [email protected].

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