When newer devices are released – and manufacturers have a knack for doing this considering phone makers such as Samsung produces more than 50 smartphones in any given year – older ones sometimes become incompatible with apps such as WhatsApp. This then means that the messaging app cannot work on the affected devices. However, you should remember that this issue is not a WhatsApp problem: other apps cannot work on outdated phones too because they no longer receive software updates, their chipsets are too old to support modern and heavier apps, and some may have storage or RAM limitations for modern applications.
Now, we have learned that WhatsApp will stop working on more than 49 devices as of December 31, 2023, and we have highlighted some of those devices in this post because there is a high chance that some people still use them as daily drivers.
WhatsApp frequently releases updates that can cause compatibility issues with older devices. For instance, iPhones running iOS 10 and iOS 11 could no longer use the messaging app starting from October 24, 2023. This time around, a limited number of old Android smartphones and only two iPhones will lose access to the messaging app.
While many people have upgraded to newer devices, outdated smartphones are still in use today. Unfortunately, if your device is on the list, WhatsApp will no longer be available after December 31.
Here are the affected devices:
Apple
Apple doesn’t need to market its phones like other makers, because it is already an established luxury brand, which it has leveraged to sell millions of its high-end handhelds.
- iPhone 5
- iPhone 5c
Samsung
Samsung has been leading the smartphone space, at least on the Android side, for a while now. It’s a series phones, especially the A1* have proved popular among millions of users across the world.
- Samsung Galaxy Core
- Samsung Galaxy S2
- Samsung Galaxy S3 mini
- Samsung Galaxy Trend II
- Samsung Galaxy Trend Lite
- Samsung Galaxy Xcover 2
LG
Note: LG no long manufacturers smartphones because the market was too tough for it to fairly compete. We miss it, still, because it had the courage to make unconventional smartphones that separated themselves from a sea of glass and metallic slabs.
- LG Enact
- LG Lucid 2
- LG Optimus 4X HD
- LG Optimus F3
- LG Optimus F3Q
- LG Optimus F5
- LG Optimus F6
- LG Optimus F7
- LG Optimus L2 II
- LG Optimus L3 II
- LG Optimus L3 II Dual
- LG Optimus L4 II
- LG Optimus L4 II Dual
- LG Optimus L5
- LG Optimus L5 Dual
- LG Optimus L5 II
- LG Optimus L7
- LG Optimus L7 II
- LG Optimus L7 II Dual
- LG Optimus Nitro HD
Sony
While Sony does not sell its devices in many markets, it still manufactures them from time to time. Sony has die-hard fans too – and while that number is shrinking, the Japanese tech company hasn’t shied away from packing the latest camera tech in its smartphones for professionals.
- Sony Xperia Arc S
- Sony Xperia miro
- Sony Xperia Neo L
Is your phone part of this list? If yes, then it might be the right time to upgrade.
