Why will WhatsApp stop working on these phones?

February 3, 2023
As the end of 2022 approaches, this could become a problem for unforeseen reasons: Compatibility of your phone with WhatsApp. The fact is that as the year changes, some types of phones may no longer be able to run popular messaging apps. This will force many to upgrade their equipment; especially those who have had cell phones for years.
The current minimum requirements to download and install WhatsApp on iOS and Android will expire on December 31. Therefore, as of January 1, 2023, several phones will become obsolete. Of course, this will not be a problem for those using newer cell phones. But let’s not forget that the Meta platform boasts compatibility with the latest hardware and has already been in several “wars”.
However, every year the compliance bar is raised a little higher for technical and security reasons. Providing the app to devices whose operating system does not receive additional support or updates comes with risks, and WhatsApp developers know this.
WhatsApp stops working on these phones
These handsets cannot support the app because the existing ones included in Meta require more internal security and intelligence. However, the company said the app can still work but will exhibit permanent bugs and crashes. January 31 will be the last day for WhatsApp to work properly on Apple phones running Android 4.0.1 or iOS 12, as those systems will no longer be supported due to the new update. these are some of the ones that will stop working:
iPhone
- iPhone 6S.
- iPhone SE.
- iPhone 6S Plus.
Samsung
- Samsung Galaxy Core.
- Samsung Galaxy Trend Lite.
- Samsung Galaxy Ace 2.
- Samsung Galaxy S3 mini.
- Samsung Galaxy Trend II.
- Samsung Galaxy X cover 2.
LG
- LG Optimus L3 II Dual.
- LG Optimus L5 II.
- LG Optimus F5.
- LG Optimus L3 II.
- LG Optimus L7II.
- LG Optimus L5 Dual.
- LG Optimus L7 Dual.
- LG Optimus F3.
- LG Optimus F3Q.
- LG Optimus L2 II.
- LG Optimus L4 II.
- LG Optimus F6 LG Enact.
- LG Lucid 2.
- LG Optimus F7.
Huawei
- Huawei Ascend Mate.
- Huawei Ascend G740.
- Huawei Ascend D2.
Other brands and models
- Sony Xperia M.
- Lenovo A820, ZTE V956 – UMI X2.
- ZTE Grand S Flex.
- ZTE Grand Memo.
- Faea F1THL W8.
- Wiko Cink Five.
- Winko Darknight.
- Archos 53 Platinum.
Compatible cell phones
If your mobile does not appear on this list, but still uses Android 4.1 and cannot be updated to a newer version, it will also not be able to run WhatsApp from 2023.
In the case of Apple, as we said, WhatsApp will no longer work on devices running versions before iOS 12.1. What is striking is that some web portals have mentioned that the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, both launched in 2015, and the first-generation iPhone SE, from 2016, would lose compatibility. When all three models are compatible with iOS 15, so the messaging app should continue to work without problems if the operating system is updated.
Those who are still using mobiles with incompatible iOS and Android versions will no longer be able to download WhatsApp from the App Store or Play Store. In case they are already using the app on a device that will lose compatibility, they will be shown a notification informing them about it. In such a case, there is no other solution but to replace the phone with a new one, even if it is not necessarily the latest generation.