WhatsApp Will Stop Working on These Older iPhones From June 1 — Is Yours on the List?

If you have an older iPhone and use WhatsApp, consider a new phone. WhatsApp has announced it will end support on iPhones running iOS 15.1 or earlier from June 1. That means WhatsApp will stop working on as many as six iPhone models that cannot be upgraded to the latest iOS versions. Here is everything impacted users should know.

No WhatsApp on older iPhones

WhatsApp’s support website has confirmed the end of support for legacy smartphones starting June 1. The list includes many iPhones and Android phones, which cannot be upgraded to iOS 15.1 or later and Android 5.0 or later, respectively. This means the following iPhones will be impacted:

• iPhone 5s
• iPhone 6
• iPhone 6 Plus

Some reports mention that the following devices will also be dropped from WhatsApp’s list of supported devices:

• iPhone 6s
• iPhone 6s Plus
• iPhone SE (1st Gen)

However, these iPhone models can be updated to iOS 15.8.4, so while they are currently in the clear, a future end of support is likely. That means users of these iPhone models should begin planning an upgrade to another iPhone or an Android phone.

The confirmed devices, such as Apple’s smash-hit iPhone 5s, have run their course. For instance, the iPhone 5s was launched in 2013, more than 10 years ago, so naturally, software support has ended. It is also part of Apple’s vintage and obsolete devices list. WhatsApp’s minimum hardware and software requirements are among the lowest. Still, the company can extend support for older iPhones only so much.

In other news, WhatsApp launched a dedicated app for the iPad 13 years after its debut. Putting an end to years-long anticipation, the WhatsApp for iPad app brings full-fledged features such as voice and video calls with support for up to 32 participants, Stage Manager with Split View functionality, and better notifications.

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