According to media reports, WhatsApp will be switched off on numerous mobile phones from 2023. Around 50 devices are said to be affected, but there are doubts about the authenticity of the message.
Will WhatsApp drop another “bomb” at the end of the year and exclude numerous cell phones from Messenger? (Source: FlashDevelop / depositphotos.com / Facebook / Montage: netzwelt.de)
- WhatsApp is said to be increasing the system requirements for Android phones soon.
- Then at least Android 5.0 should be a basic requirement for use.
- There is a list of devices circulating on the web that are said to no longer be able to be used with Messenger.
At the end of the year, a message shocked WhatsApp fans. From 2023, the messenger should no longer work on around 50 cell phones. Devices from Samsung, Sony and Co, but also some iPhones are affected.
The complete list can be found below:
- iPhone 5
- iPhone 5c
- Archos 53 Platinum
- Grand S Flex ZTE
- Grand X Quad V987 ZTE
- HTC Desire 500
- Huawei Ascend D
- Huawei Ascend D1
- Huawei Ascend D2
- Huawei Ascend G740
- Huawei Ascend Mate
- Huawei Ascend P1
- Quad XL
- Lenovo A820
- LG Enact
- LG Lucid 2
- LG Optimus 4X HD
- LG Optimus F3
- LG Optimus F3Q
- LG Optimus F5
- LG Optimus F6
- LG Optimus F7
- LG Optimus L2 II
- LG Optimus L3 II
- LG Optimus L3 II Dual
- LG Optimus L4 II
- LG Optimus L4II Dual
- LG Optimus L5
- LG Optimus L5 Dual
- LG Optimus L5 II
- LG Optimus L7
- LG Optimus L7 II
- LG Optimus L7 II Dual
- LG Optimus NitroHD
- Memo ZTE V956
- Samsung Galaxy Ace 2
- Samsung Galaxy Core
- Samsung Galaxy S2
- Samsung Galaxy s3 Mini
- Samsung Galaxy Trend II
- Samsung Galaxy Trend Lite
- Samsung Galaxy Xcover 2
- Sony Xperia Arc S
- Sony Xperia miro
- Sony Xperia Neo L
- Wiko Cink Five
- Wiko Darknight ZT
The reason for this is the increase in system requirements. In the future, at least Android 5.0 will be a requirement for using WhatsApp. Accordingly, the messenger could no longer be used on older cell phones such as the Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini, reports among others SamMobile and Gizchina.
WhatsApp denied
The problem: WhatsApp has not yet communicated such a change. The messenger’s website, which is cited as a source in the articles, continues to state Android 4.1 Jelly Bean as the basic requirement for Android phones and iOS 12 for iPhones. Upon request, Messenger informed us that this information was up to date. In addition, WhatsApp does not publish lists of devices that are supported, only operating systems.
If you take a closer look at the list, which was apparently created by an online magazine based on the operating system specifications of the devices, you will also discover several inconsistencies. It was already circulating online in this form in October 2021. At that time, WhatsApp raised the system requirements and excluded devices with Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich or older from Messenger. Many of the devices on the list were delivered with the OS version, but could continue to be used after an update.
The iPhone models iPhone 5 and 5c mentioned on the list would also not be affected by the upgrade of the Android version for WhatsApp. In fact, the messenger can no longer be used on the two models since October 2022, because WhatsApp actually raised the system requirements from iOS 10 to iOS 12.
Also interesting…
Irrespective of the fact that the message about the WhatsApp end at the turn of the year for the cell phones mentioned is probably a duck, it would not be advisable to continue using the messenger on these devices. Because they haven’t received security updates for a long time, which puts your data at risk.
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