WhatsApp early this year officially announced that from January 1, 2025, they will stop supporting Android KitKat (Android 4.4) and below. The change will impact gadgets that are over 10 years older, which is the next step by Meta to optimize the app’s function and security. Anyone with these older devices will need to upgrade in order to still use WhatsApp.
WhatsApp to Drop Support for Older Android Devices in 2025
It is Meta’s practice of ensuring that WhatsApp remains well synchronized with modern technology standards. Currently, the company intends to strengthen security, accelerate the app, and improve its usability by ceasing support for older software. This is in support of other technologies providing companies that have pulled out support for the older operating systems.
The flash will affect a number of old Android devices with models of popular brands: Samsung, LG, and Sony. Devices that are older than 10 years will cease to receive WhatsApp updates, which means that most users with such phones will have no other choice other than to let go of the application. Therefore, the owners of such gadgets are being forced to switch to other models of these devices.
For many people this might be a reason to buy a new and more relevant model of the phone, because WhatsApp is still one of the most popular instant messengers worldwide. Despite the understanding one may be making slight reference, it is equally a strategic move, more especially in realization of Meta’s bigger goal of ensuring all its users are provided with a safer and more efficient platform. Telekom Malaysia has posted this message on its website, warning users who want to stay connected that they should ensure that their devices are compatible.
Soon in 2025, anyone still using older Android phones should start preparing for the shift. Newer versions of Android will still be supported in WhatsApp, while older software users must find other means of communication or update to the latest version. It shares the consistent trend with many companies in the tech industry, migrating towards more advanced, secure, and functional devices.
WhatsApp to End Support for Older Android Devices in 2025
In 2025 the WhatsApp team will discontinue supporting a number of older Android devices, which will be another stage of efforts of Meta to ensure the application’s compatibility with the latest technologies. Phones impacted include Samsung, Motorola, HTC, LG, and Sony mobile phones, among others. For instance, new devices such as the Samsung Galaxy S3, Samsung Galaxy Note 2, and Samsung Galaxy S4 mini will not support the application, and devices from Motorola and HTC, including the Motorola Moto G (first generation) and the HTC One X, will not support it.
This move is a regular exercise typical of WhatsApp in its bid to keep the application secure by supporting the latest software technologies. New updates, like the recent WhatsApp version, cannot work on devices with old operating systems, like Android KitKat (4.4) or even lower. This follows a similar trend to the strategies made by Meta in the prior years in which the company decided to cease supporting older iOS and Android versions.
Some of the news are dictating the old users to upgrade their current smartphone’s operating system to the latest one to enable them to use WhatsApp. Popular phones from LG, including the Optimus G and Nexus 4, and Sony, including the Xperia Z and Xperia T, will not receive further support after the update. This may make some users begin looking at options for buying better-performing devices that offer longer support for the likes of WhatsApp.
Over the course of years, Meta has altered system requirements for the Android and iOS-based applications consistently to meet the standard of today’s security and functionality and overall interfaces of modern applications. Such updates are required from time to time in order to serve the purpose of optimizing the performance of the app besides ensuring protection of user data from some possible weaknesses. Because new operating systems become outdated and incapable of supporting the new features that WhatsApp needs in order to grow, it becomes imperative for the firm to discontinue supporting older operating systems.
This change effectively means that users of these devices will cease to use WhatsApp or have to opt for a newer version. Even though it may be somewhat seen as a certain dichotomy, it is important to remember that mobile applications have adjusted to the world’s needs in the field of modern technology. The users will have to decide in advance, since WhatsApp will stop working on these devices from 2025.
WhatsApp to Drop Support for Older iPhones in 2025
Just recently, WhatsApp stated that, from May 5, 2025, it shall not be available on iOS devices released before November 2018, so running pre-15.1 systems. As of now, WhatsApp works on devices with iOS 12 and above, but which future updates will require iOS 15.1 or later to continue using the application? Regarding this move, it measures a goal of WhatsApp because it wants the application to stay safe, effective, and capable of supporting contemporary technologies.
The update will roll out gradually in order not to interrupt the process of switching for WhatsApp users, with a five-month warning period. It should offer enough time to users to download new versions or, in the rare cases where their phones cannot support newer iOS versions, make appropriate decisions. This strategy is meant to avoid countless instances of disruption in the ranks of its user community in addition to advancing newer technology adoption.
This will especially apply to the older models of iPhones like the iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, and iPhone 6 Plus. These devices work on iOS 12.5.7, and WhatsApp will no longer be compatible with it once the update paves the way. Users with these phones will have to switch to a new iPhone model or update iOS 15.1 in order to use the app without disruptions.
But for iPhone users, who have the newer model of the iPhone but are running the older versions of the iOS, they will be able to use both the conventional WhatsApp as well as the WhatsApp Business once they update their gadgets to iOS 15.1 or a version higher than the said one. The change will impact the regular users of WhatsApp and business users in equal measure.
The reasoning to make iOS 15.1 as a minimum requirement has happened with the intent to enhance the general performance, security, and compatibility of the app with modern devices. By implementing these changes, WhatsApp hopes for a better experience for everyone that actively uses it, so it remains one of the go-to messaging apps across the globe.
