APP: The instant messaging application WhatsApp has decided, as usual, to end support for older devices and operating systems
Periodically, WhatsApp, like other apps, stops supporting older smartphones and operating systems. As of December 31, the popular messaging app will no longer work on an additional 49 older devices, reports Phonandroid. Most date from around 10 years ago.
For iPhones, the iPhone 5 and 5c, respectively released in 2012 and 2013, are affected by this end of software support. It will now be necessary to have at least iOS 12.1, released in 2018, to be able to use the application, specifies Numerama . On the Android system side, support ends for all devices still operating with a version prior to Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean), a version launched in 2012. Among them, we find the Samsung Galaxy S2 and S3 mini, the HTC Desire 500 and many LG Optimus.
Keeping up with the latest advances
On WhatsApp’s support pages, the app’s teams explain why, on a regular basis, some older devices stop being supported for instant messaging. “To keep pace with the latest technological advances, we regularly stop supporting older operating systems to devote our resources to supporting the latest systems,” it says. The last end of support was on the 24th October 2022 with the end of support for iOS 10 and 11.
In total, for Android in February 2021, it was still estimated that 0.2% of smartphones were still running on Jelly Bean. Since then, Google has launched ten other major versions, 4.4 (KitKat), 5 (Lollipop), 6 (Marshmallow), 7 (Nougat), 8 (Oreo), 9 (Pie), 10, 11, 12 and 13. iOS in is on its side at version 16.2.
