WhatsApp will end support for iOS 10 and 11 in October 2022. iPhone owners have a few cards in hand to make it through.
This is a deadline that we have known since the end of May 2022: in the coming months, WhatsApp will abandon some very old versions of the iOS operating system. It is the iOS 10 and iOS 11 branches that will fall by the wayside. Released in 2016 and 2017 respectively, these versions have not benefited from any updates since 2019.
Several smartphones released by Apple are exposed for this end of WhatsApp support, which will occur on October 24. Depending on the iOS 10 or 11 version, the following models are on the front line: iPhone 5, 5C, 5S, 6, 6 Plus, 6S, 6S Plus, SE (1st generation), 7, 7 Plus, 8 , 8 Plus and X. That said, owners of these devices are not without resources.
Update iOS on iPhone
First obvious recommendation: make sure to update iOS to a higher branch. Apart from the iPhone 5 and iPhone 5C, all other models are supposed to get at least iOS 12, launched in 2018 — and, in fact, the majority of the products mentioned above can even get iOS 15, which is the most recent development to date.
In fact, the iOS ecosystem is generally up to date. In the case of the iPhone, 82% of devices use iOS 15 (89% in the case of mobiles less than four years old). Only 4% use a version less than or equal to iOS 13. The owners therefore keep their terminal rather well up to date – it must be said that Apple provides long-term monitoring.
Mobilize WhatsApp Web and WhatsApp Desktop
Maybe it’s something you didn’t know existed: WhatsApp doesn’t just exist as a mobile app. The platform is also available as a web service and desktop software. Convenient for chatting with your loved ones using a PC keyboard, which is ideal when you are not the fastest in the world with a virtual touch keyboard.
WhatsApp Web and WhatsApp Desktop first require pairing with your profile by scanning a QR code. But once the connection is made, WhatsApp can be used on more than 4 connected devices simultaneously, without having to connect the phone to the Internet. Each device will connect to WhatsApp independently.
Beware, however: loss of pairing after October 24, 2022 could invalidate this solution for an iPhone that remained with iOS 10 or iOS 11. This is an imperfect solution, as it suggests that you will no longer be able to use WhatsApp on the go. , on the metro or on vacation, but only from connected devices — in other words, at home.
Change iPhone
This is obviously the most expensive solution, but which really only concerns people with an iPhone 5 and 5C – the others should be able to migrate at least to iOS 12 and solve this problem for a time. If you buy a new iPhone, you’ll be giving yourself years of respite before this scenario repeats itself.
There is no need to buy the most high-end iPhone in the catalog, at over 1,200 euros. There are more accessible models, as our guide to the best iPhones to buy shows. An iPhone 13 mini can be obtained around 750 euros. An iPhone SE (2022) or an iPhone 11 can be under 500 or even 400 euros.
This obviously remains a significant sum, especially for the least well-off scholarships. If you still have an iPhone 5 or 5C, however, the change may be justified as the product has improved in the space of seven to nine years. The end of WhatsApp support may not be a good enough reason on its own, but it could be the trigger.
Backup WhatsApp chats
This is obviously not a recommendation that will as such resolve the concern caused by the discontinuation of support for iOS 10 and 11, but it is advice that will be very useful to apply in case — in particular in the event of change iPhone. Make backups! WhatsApp has a procedure that backs up data in the cloud with end-to-end encryption.
There are guides to understand how to secure your WhatsApp cloud backups more effectively and how to export WhatsApp chat history. Whatever you decide before October 24, 2022, make backups. For WhatsApp as for the rest. Don’t wait for International Safeguards Dayto act.