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Published 18:34 IST, December 29th 2020

WhatsApp will stop working in 2021: Which Android and iOS devices will lose support?

It has been announced that WhatsApp will stop working in 2021 on a number of iOS and Android devices. Which devices will lose support after Dec 31? Find out.

Reported by: Danish Ansari
null | Image: self

WhatsApp is one of the widely popular instant messaging platforms around the world. The Facebook-owned messaging service has been a leading messaging service that has consistently evolved since its release over a decade ago. Known for its ease of use and simple user interface, the mobile app serves as a one-stop-shop for users due to its various offerings. WhatsApp offers tons of advanced features which make it a lot more than a standard messaging platform. These include free voice calls, video calls, voice messages, payments feature and a lot more.

And as the platform continues to advance and get better with every update, it has been revealed that WhatsApp will stop working in 2021 on a range of older iOS and Android-based devices.

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WhatsApp will not work on which phones in 2021?

While a majority of handsets with older mobile OS will still be able to support the app with limited features, a few devices will lose complete access to the messaging service. With the start of the new year, all Android devices running on Android version 4.0.3 or newer will still be compatible with WhatsApp, while those running older Android versions will lose access.

As for iOS devices, the iPhones running iOS 9 and newer versions will continue to support the messaging platform, whereas, earlier ones will no longer have access. iPhone 4 and lower models are ones that will no longer support WhatsApp after the update. As for users with iPhone 4S and higher models, they will still be able to use the messaging service by updating to the latest iOS 9 software.

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The company also announced that select handsets running on KaiOS 2.5.1 and newer versions, including JioPhone and JioPhone 2, will continue to support the service.

For those unaware, WhatsApp constantly drops support for a number of older devices as it adds new functions and features to the app. This is a necessary exercise as the new functionalities not only increase the size of the app but it also becomes difficult for the company to offer support for outdated and older versions of the software. For more WhatsApp news and updates, keep updated with us.

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Image credits: Unsplash | christianw

Updated 18:34 IST, December 29th 2020

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