Starting Monday, November 1, WhatsApp will no longer support a number of Android and iOS devices. If users have not yet backed up and exported their chats, they will be lost as a result of the change. In order to continue using WhatsApp’s instant messaging service, users should switch to a compatible device.
Android 4.1 and later smartphones are included in the app’s list of supported devices. WhatsApp also works with the latest iOS and KaiOS running systems.
WhatsApp has confirmed that as of Monday, it would no longer support phones running Android 4.0.4 and iOS 9, as well as older versions, via an updated FAQ page. Before the deadline, affected users should switch to a compatible device and store their chat history.
How to check if WhatsApp is ending support for your Android device
WhatsApp has yet to specify which devices would no longer be supported by the app. However, you can see if WhatsApp support for your Android device is ending by following the instructions below.
- Go to Settings >
- Tap on About phone.
- Scroll down to find the Android version that’s installed on your device.
- If it’s Android 4.0.4 or lower, you should consider upgrading to a device that runs a newer version of Android.
How to check if WhatsApp is ending support for your iPhone
- Go to Settings
2. Tap on General
3. Tap on About
4. if it’s iOS 9 or lower, you should consider upgrading to a device that runs a newer version of iOS.
If you are one of the impacted users, you can export your conversation history by creating a backup of your chats or exporting individual or group chats separately.
For backup, you can go to Settings > Chats > Chat backup > Back up from the WhatsApp settings.
You may also export a group or individual conversation by opening it and using the three-dot option in the top-right corner of your screen. You’ll have to go to More > Export Chat now. WhatsApp will also allow you choose whether you want to export your chat with or without the media items you’ve received in it, such as audio, photos, and videos.
WhatsApp presently supports iPhones running iOS 10 (supported by iPhone 5 and later models) and newer versions, as well as feature phones such as the Jio Phone and Jio Phone 2 running KaiOS 2.5.0 and later versions, in addition to Android 4.1 and later versions.
