WhatsApp: WhatsApp cuts loose owners of old smartphones by abandoning software support

Users of the iPhone 5 and newer models will retain access. Photo / 123RF

Millions of smartphone users will be unable to use WhatsApp from this weekend as the messaging service drops support for handsets with older operating systems.

The app, which is owned by Facebook and boasts more than 1.5 billion users, is set to withdraw its support from iPhones and Android phones with outdated software.iPhone users running an operating system with iOS 8 or older will be affected by the cut-off. Users of Apple's iPhone 4 will be shut out, too, as the phones cannot update to new software.

Users of the iPhone 5 and newer models will retain access.Android phones will also be affected, as handsets using versions of Google's operating system released in 2010 or before will no longer receive updates. The operating system, known as Gingerbread 2.3.7, was used for phones such as the Samsung Galaxy S2 and the HTC Desire HD.Millions of devices globally will be hit. In the UK, the change is expected to affect tens of thousands of smartphone users.

WhatsApp advices users to update to the newest version of the app in order t o stay safe while messaging. Photo / 123RF

WhatsApp claims the move, which comes into effect today, is necessary to ensure the safety of users against hackers who might try to exploit loopholes in the older software to steal personal details. The US company advises users to update to the newest version of the app in order to stay safe while messaging.

"For the best experience, we recommend you use the latest version of iOS [or Android] available for your phone," the company said in a blog post.WhatsApp's decision to shut down its support for older phones means "some features might stop functioning at any time".

It would force users to upgrade to a new phone at a time when people are holding onto their phones for longer. Figures published in Sept by Gartner, a research firm, highlighted a sharp decline in smartphone sales in 2019, falling 3.2 per cent to 1.74 billion sales from 1.81 billion in 2018, as fewer people upgrade after the completion of a typical two-year contract.The move comes after WhatsApp shut down its support for the Nokia Lumia devices made by Microsoft at the end of Dec. Users were met with a message on Jan 1 to confirm the dropped support:

"You can no longer use Whats-App on this phone, because WhatsApp no longer supports it."

The devices, which used a Windows operating system, were released just four years ago, though Microsoft discontinued the development of its Windows Phone operating system in 2017, ending its push into the smartphone market after a botched deal to buy Nokia's mobile phone business in 2011.The Daily Telegraph--Telegraph Media