Older iPhones will soon no longer be able to use the popular messenger as usual. Source: Pixabay
WhatsApp raises the system requirements of the popular messenger WhatsApp in Europey. If you have an older iPhone, you will soon no longer be able to use the app. We tell you which devices are affected.
The upcoming change was first of the page WABetainfo discovered. This had shown a screenshot of an update message in WhatsApp. Here it says that WhatsApp this version of iOS
will no longer support after October 24, 2022. The app asks to update the operating system. You can see the screenshot here:
This message gives an indication of when the changeover will finally take place. Source: wabetainfo.com
It is not immediately clear which version of iOS it is, but there is FAQ section of the official Whatsapp page here clarification. Accordingly, WhatsApp only supports iPhones running iOS 12 or later. Previously, iPhones down to iOS 10 were supported. So that means: Support for iOS 10 and 11 will be discontinued in the future.
Which iPhones are affected by the change?
However, the iOS 10 and 11 versions are a bit older, which is why only older smartphones are affected. These are the models iPhone 5, iPhone 5C and their predecessors. These devices will probably no longer be supported from October 24, 2022, as you cannot install iOS 12 on them. However, all newer iPhones from the iPhone 5S and iPhone SE are still supported.
The prerequisite is, of course, that you have installed the current version of the operating system. We would recommend that anyway, since newer versions are provided with security updates, which protects the data on your smartphone better. You can also enjoy new features and designs. The upcoming version iOS 16 is rumored to have something special in store for you:
iOS 16
Apple could finally deliver a much-anticipated feature
Why are iOS 10 and 11 no longer supported?
On WhatsApp’s official FAQ page, the company explains how they decide which devices and systems to stop supporting. According to this, the oldest devices with the fewest users are usually affected, as they often no longer receive security updates or no longer support modern WhatsApp functions.
But we don’t find out exactly what caused iOS 10 and 11 to no longer be supported. If you are affected by the change, WhatsApp will show you a message in the app asking you to upgrade the operating system.
We can well imagine that this measure has to do with the nine major innovations that the popular messenger should get this year:
WhatsApp will get nine long-awaited innovations in 2022
Are you still using an iPhone 5 or older and are you affected by the new system requirements? Have you already received the upgrade prompt in WhatsApp? Let us know in the comments!
