WhatsApp is increasing its requirements. From October 24th, Messenger will be switched off on many older devices.
From October 24th, WhatsApp can no longer be used on some older cell phones. (Source: FlashDevelop / depositphotos.com / Facebook / Montage: netzwelt.de)
- WhatsApp will increase the system requirements for Android phones on October 24th.
- From this point on, Android 5.0 becomes mandatory for installation.
- It is estimated that WhatsApp will no longer work on 15 million cell phones worldwide.
WhatsApp currently requires at least a cell phone with Android 4.1 or iOS 12 to install. Soon, Android 5.0 will be the minimum requirement. The messenger will then no longer be usable on older devices that no longer support this Android version. There have been rumors about this for months, and the messenger service has now confirmed them in an FAQ on the website.
Away October 24th the new system requirements apply. The new beta version of the messenger for Android phones can no longer be installed on older Android versions. However, nothing changes for iPhone users. Here iOS 12 remains the minimum requirement. The same applies to KaiOS phones, where at least KaiOS 2.5.0 is mandatory.
So many cell phones are affected worldwide
According to the online magazine Android Authority, in May 2023 only 0.5 percent of all Android devices worldwide were running the soon-to-be no longer supported version Android 4.4 KitKat. With around three billion active Android devices worldwide, 0.5 percent still corresponds to 15 million devices.
The messenger does not publish any details on which models WhatsApp will no longer work from October. Given the variety of Android cell phones on the market, this seems almost impossible.
These phones will soon no longer be supported
So that you don’t feel in the dark, we have put together the following list of affected models without guarantee based on our Android update schedule and further research. It makes no claim to completeness and is constantly being expanded – most recently on October 16th.
Acer
- Acer Liquid Z5
- Acer Liquid Z4
- Acer Liquid Z3
- Acer Liquid S2
- Acer Liquid Jade
- Acer Liquid E3
- Acer Liquid E1
Alcatel
- Alcatel Idol S
- Alcatel OneTouch Pop C7
- Alcatel Pop C5
- Alcatel Idol Mini
Archos
- Archos 53 Platinum
- Archos 50c Oxygen
- Archos 45 Neon
- Archos 50 Diaomond
CAT
Google
HTC
Huawei
- Huawei Ascend D1
- Huawei Ascend D2
- Huawei Ascend G740
- Huawei Ascend P1
- Huawei Ascend P6
- Huawei Ascend Mate
LG
- LG Optimus 4X HD
- LG Optimus F3
- LG Optimus F3Q
- LG Optimus F5
- LG Optimus F6
- LG Optimus F7
- LG Optimus L5
- LG Optimus L2 II
- LG Optimus L3 II (Dual)
- LG Optimus L4 II (Dual)
- LG Optimus L5 II (Dual)
- LG Optimus L7
- LG Optimus L7 II (Dual)
- LG G Flex
- LG G2 Mini
Samsung
Sony
- Sony Xperia SP
- Sony Xperia Arc S
- Sony Xperia Miro
- Sony Xperia Neo L
- Sony Xperia go
- Sony Xperia ion
- Sony Xperia S
- Sony Xperia P
- Sony Xperia J
- Sony Xperia V
- Sony Xperia T
- Sony Xperia E
- Sony Xperia E1
- Sony Xperia SP
- Sony Xperia L
- Sony Xperia M
Wiko
Xiaomi
- Xiaomi Mi2s
- Xiaomi Redmi Note
ZTE
Other
- Asus FonePad Note FHD 6
- BQ Aquaris 4
- Vodafone Smart 3
- Vodafone Smart Mini
- Amazon FirePhone
We only included devices in the list for which, to our knowledge, there is no update to Android 5.0 Lollipop or higher. Devices for which an update is available but have not been installed are also affected by the shutdown, but if you do so, WhatsApp will work again. Furthermore, no devices were taken into account that no longer meet the minimum requirements of WhatsApp.
According to WhatsApp, affected users are also informed a few times before the shutdown that WhatsApp will soon no longer work on their cell phone or that they will have to carry out an update.
Tip: If your cell phone appears on the list, we advise you to check whether there is an update to Android 5.0. It is always possible that an update was missed during our research. To test whether there is an Android update for your cell phone, follow the steps in the linked instructions. If you are not sure which Android version your cell phone is running, we will also explain to you how you can find out in the linked article.
You may be able to continue using the app for the time being
Theoretically, the devices mentioned in the list can also be updated to a higher Android version. There are such custom ROMs for many models. However, these are unofficial updates developed by fans and not by the manufacturer. WhatsApp points out on its website that the messenger does not work on devices with a custom ROM. We would also advise you against using alternative WhatsApp clients such as WhatsApp Plus or GB WhatsApp. This may result in your account being blocked.
It also remains unclear in WhatsApp’s announcement whether the app will no longer be usable on the devices mentioned from October 24th or whether, once you have installed it, you can continue to use it for the time being and just no longer receive updates and no reinstallation can do more. If the messenger continues to work, you should definitely be careful and never delete the app carelessly.
Use WhatsApp alternative
If WhatsApp no longer works for you, you are spoiled for choice – either you bite the bullet and buy a new smartphone or you use a WhatsApp alternative. The popular messenger Telegram, for example, only requires Android 4.4 to work.
However, there are also a variety of other messengers that you can use. To be honest, an alternative to WhatsApp is only recommended if you also encourage your contacts to switch. Otherwise, the good old SMS remains, which can be sent using the flat rate in many current mobile phone tariffs at no additional cost.
Why does WhatsApp increase system requirements?
From time to time, WhatsApp increases its system requirements and thus excludes older cell phones from using the messenger. There are two reasons for this: On the one hand, the devices are no longer powerful enough to carry out some new functions on them, and on the other hand, older models also endanger the security of the messenger. Finally, the cell phones are no longer provided with updates by the manufacturer. According to WhatsApp, in addition to age, the number of users also plays a role.
WhatsApp last increased its system requirements in October 2022. At that time, devices with iOS 10 and 11 were excluded from Messenger. The last change to Android was almost two years ago. In November 2021, phones running Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich or older were banned from Messenger.
WhatsApp’s system requirements are still moderate compared to the competition. Telegram, for example, already requires Android 6.0, Signal has long been using Android 5.0.
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