WhatsApp has announced that the social networking platform will stop working on millions of devices globally from next year, 2020, as the company has withdrawn support for such phones.
This implies that, from February 1. 2020, any iPhone running on iOS 8 or older will no longer be supported, along with any Android device running version 2.3.7 or older.
WhatsApp will also be withdrawing support for all Windows phones from December 31, 2019 — the same month Microsoft ends support of its Windows 10 Mobile OS.
Users of these operating systems are already unable to create new WhatsApp accounts or re-verify existing accounts.
This is more like a routine checkup for WhatsApp to strip older devices off its glory. If you can remember, the Blackberry OS and BB10 were off the WhatsApp radar Dec 31, 2018. Likewise, the Nokia Symbian phones.
“This was a tough decision for us to make, but the right one to give people better ways to keep in touch with friends, family, and loved ones using WhatsApp.
If you use one of these affected mobile devices, we recommend upgrading to a newer Android, iPhone, or Windows Phone to continue using WhatsApp,” Facebook said.
Facebook bought WhatsApp for $19 billion in 2014 and aims to integrate the messaging platform into its other services Messenger and Instagram.