WhatsApp To Stop Working On Several Android Smartphones From Today: Check If Your Device Is On The List

WhatsApp has officially stopped supporting phones running Android 5.0 and Android 5.1, with the change taking effect from September 8. The move was announced several months ago, giving affected users time to prepare, and users on these older Android versions were shown an in-app alert earlier this year warning that support would end in September.

Is your phone affected?

WABetaInfo reports that if your device is running Android 5.0 or 5.1, WhatsApp has now ended support for it. However, some older phones may still be eligible for an update to Android 6.0 or a newer version, which would allow WhatsApp to continue working.

To check, head to your phone's Settings menu and look for a software update. If an Android 6.0 or newer update is available, installing it should let you keep using WhatsApp as usual. If your device cannot be upgraded beyond Android 5.0 or 5.1, you will need a newer phone to continue using the app.

Why WhatsApp is dropping support?

WhatsApp supports a wide range of Android versions, but maintaining compatibility with very old software limits what the company can build into the app. By ending support for Android 5.0 and 5.1, WhatsApp can concentrate on newer Android versions, giving it more room to roll out features that may not function properly on older software and hardware.

The number of users affected by this change is expected to be relatively small, and most people using newer Android phones should notice no difference at all.