Baku, December 2, AZERTAC

Starting May 5, 2025, WhatsApp will drop support for versions older than iOS 15.1, affecting users with iPhone 5s, iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, according to WABetaInfo.

Users with newer iPhone models will still be able to access the app as long as they are on the latest available iOS version.

For years, WhatsApp has worked to support a wide range of iOS versions, ensuring that users across various devices can continue to enjoy the services offered by the app. This approach has allowed WhatsApp to reach a broad audience, supporting a range of iPhone models and iOS versions within reasonable limits. The decision to maintain compatibility with older operating systems was motivated by the aim of offering the latest features and improvements to as many users as possible. However, in order to stay on top of the latest trends in technology and offer better services to all users, WhatsApp is now exploring the possibility of dropping support for certain older iOS versions.

In a recent notification, WhatsApp has informed users on older versions of iOS that their devices will no longer be supported next year. This update notifies users running iOS versions earlier than 15.1 that they will no longer be able to use the app in the future, even if they attempt to access it through a previous beta version on TestFlight. Currently, WhatsApp supports iOS 12 and later, but with a future update, the app will require iOS 15.1 or newer to work properly. To help affected users adapt to this change, WhatsApp is providing a five-month notice period, giving them ample time to update their devices if possible or consider alternatives if their hardware does not support newer iOS versions.

One of the main reasons for this change is that newer versions of iOS include updated APIs and improved technologies that WhatsApp relies on to deliver new features. By not supporting older versions, WhatsApp will be able to optimize the app and introduce new features that simply wouldn't be possible with outdated operating systems. For example, certain enhancements and performance improvements found in newer iOS releases require APIs that were only introduced in iOS 15 and later. In addition, WhatsApp can migrate the codebase to use the latest APIs by discontinuing support for outdated operating systems, eliminating the need to rely on deprecated code for backward compatibility in certain cases.

Additionally, it's easy to assume that WhatsApp has closely monitored the number of users still running older versions of iOS. Data may indicate that a significantly smaller portion of users relies on these outdated systems. WhatsApp can ensure that it provides a better overall experience to the majority of its users by focusing on newer iOS versions, while minimizing the impact on those who continue to use older devices.

This change will primarily affect iPhone 5s, iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus users, as the last iOS update available for these device models is iOS 12.5.7. These devices were released over 10 years ago, so the number of users still running WhatsApp on these models might be minimal. For users with newer iPhone models, those running an iOS version below 15.1 will still be able to update to the latest iOS release and use WhatsApp even after the change takes effect. You can update your device by opening iPhone Settings > General > Software Update. It's important to note that this decision only impacts some iPhone users, as Android users will not be affected by this update and can continue using WhatsApp as they normally would.