WhatsApp to cut support for three iPhones… check if your devices made the list

WhatsApp will discontinue service for three iPhones next year.

A website investigating beta versions of apps found a hidden warning that the Meta’s messaging service will be renewing its service by May 5, 2025, with no upgrades available for iPhone 5s, iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.

The smartphones lack support for Apple’s iOS 15.1, which will be a prerequisite for the messaging software, and only have the option for iOS 12.5.7.

Industry watchers noted that the announcement will not affect WhatsApp users who enjoy the service on Android devices.

Some speculated that Meta’s app was monitoring its internal data on the service’s total number of older iPhone users before deciding it was an opportune time to reduce this likely modest number of customers.

For those looking to upgrade their phones to keep up with WhatsApp, experts recommend backing up their chats and multimedia history to Apple’s to iCloud, for future integration with a newer device via WhatsApp’s Chat Transfer feature.

Egypt-based tech podcaster Youssef Salem, who focuses on Apple products, was the first to break the news about WhatsApp’s plans – after researching how the latest versions of WhatsApp now work.Test flight,” Apple’s system for developers who put new apps to the test.

WhatsApp’s warning, Salem reported, “warns users with iOS versions older than 15.1 that they will not be able to use the app in the future, even if they attempt to access it through a previous beta version on TestFlight.”

‘WhatsApp has a notice period of five months [older iPhone users] ample time to update their devices if possible or consider alternatives if their hardware does not support newer iOS versions,” said the tech expert who discovered the service advisory

Fortunately, all newer iPhone models will still be compatible with the service, as long as they run the latest versions of iOS.

Updating the operating system on the Apple device is as simple as going to the iPhone settings, clicking ‘General’ and then selecting ‘Software Update’.

WhatsApp introduced a new feature last month that automatically transcribes voice memo messages, and the upcoming update is likely to continue expanding these types of AI and large language model-based tools.

Salem noted his report for the technical site WABetaInfo that the approximately five-month period was “plenty of time” for older iPhone owners “to update their devices if possible or consider alternatives if their hardware does not support newer iOS versions.”

WhatsApp has worked for years to find a balance between offering essential new features, such as a reverse image search function needed to help combat ‘fake news’ and disinformation, while keeping the service open to as wide a audience as possible. number of users.

“This approach has allowed WhatsApp to reach a wide audience,” Salem noted, but this may have come at the expense of keeping up with “the latest technology trends” of late.

Apple experts have noted that iPhone users concerned about personal privacy and security are likely to want to keep their iOS fully up to date to ensure all vulnerabilities are patched and protected from cybercriminals.

WhatsApp’s own updates coming in May 2025 are also expected to include major new security features such as Chat Lock, which was unique to the encrypted messaging app.

“Locking a chat will take that thread out of your inbox and into its own folder that can only be accessed with your device password or biometric data, such as a fingerprint,” Meta said in his message. Chat Lock Announcement.

It also automatically hides the contents of that chat from notifications. We think this feature will be great for people who occasionally share their phone with a family member, or for times when someone else is holding your phone.”