The year 2025 will start on a high note, but for a few who are stringent on holding on to things and not letting go, especially gadgets, the year may hit them hard from the start.
Starting 1 January 2025, specific devices will not have WhatsApp operational, significantly if the device OS cannot be upgraded. This non-operationality of WhatsApp on particular devices is due to changes in WhatsApp compatibility.
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Metro.co.uk reported that the first compatibility update will come on January 1, 2025, when WhatsApp stops supporting Android’s KitKat OS and older versions.
This means some older smartphones will not be able to load the application.
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The number of people most likely affected by this will not be significant. It will be those who are bent on using their mobile devices until their vital life is exhausted.
Read this to know if your phone will be affected.
Android
Some users with Andriod KitKat on their phones can still use WhatsApp, provided their device can be updated to a more recent OS. However, if your OS cannot be updated, this fate will be your reality.
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Here is a list of Android phones known to be affected by the January 1 change at the time of publishing:
Samsung: Galaxy S3, Galaxy Note 2, Galaxy Ace 3 and Galaxy S4 Mini
Motorola: Moto G (1st Gen), Razr HD and Moto E 2014.
HTC: One X, One X+, Desire 500 and Desire 601.
LG: Optimus G, Nexus 4, G2 Mini and L90.
Sony: Xperia Z, Xperia SP, Xperia T and Xperia V.
Later in 2025, WhatsApp will stop being supported for iPhones of a similar age.
iPhones
Starting 5 May, the app will stop working on iOS versions earlier than 15.1.
While some iPhone users with older iOSes can simply update their phones, some still in use can only be updated to iOS 12.5.7.
The phones in this category that can still use WhatsApp now but won’t be able to from May 5 are the iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, and iPhone 6 Plus.
These changes affect the regular WhatsApp application and WhatsApp Business, which have the exact system requirements.
Meta, which owns WhatsApp, says the changes are part of regular updates to ensure the app stays secure and functional while working with newer phones.
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