WhatsApp To No Longer Support iPhones On iOS 11 And Below
If you happen to be a heavy WhatsApp user on an older iPhone model, then we have some bad news for you. As discovered by WABetaInfo, it appears that the private messaging service will soon roll out a notification to users on iOS 11 and below, informing them that its app will no longer support iPhones running on older firmware. This is further corroborated by a support article on WhatsApp’s website, which notes iOS 12 to be the current minimum requirement.
According to the screenshot shared by WABetaInfo, the major change will be in full effect starting on 24 October 2022 onwards. This should provide you with ample time to decide on what to do next before access to WhatsApp on affected devices will no longer be available.
Naturally, this could only mean two things: one; it’s high time that you upgrade your iOS to the latest version if you’ve been skimping on updates (provided that your phone supports it), or two; upgrade to a newer device. For your reference, iPhone models that lack support for iOS 12 include the iPhone 5 series, with the exception of the top-end iPhone 5S variant.
If you’re insistent on sticking to Apple’s ecosystem, you could opt for any model from the iPhone 6 or newer, though we suggest going for the iPhone X series or above for future proofing. But if affordability is part of your criteria, there’s always the third generation iPhone SE and its 2020 predecessor for you to consider.
Alternatively, you may also want to consider Android devices if the prices for Apple’s smartphones are still too high for your budget. However, do keep in mind that WhatsApp has yet to launch its chat history transfer feature on Android devices other than those from Samsung. On that note, users switching over to Samsung’s range of smartphones can transfer their iPhone’s WhatsApp chat history by utilising the Samsung SmartSwitch app. For further information on this, please refer to WhatsApp’s guide via this link.
(Source: WABetaInfo)
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