It’s a new decade and if you are clinging onto your old Windows Phone, this news might make you upgrade. WhatsApp no longer works on any Windows Phone, even the most recent models released back in 2015-2017.
WhatsApp confirmed the news back in May 2019 but Windows Phone officially lost support as of the new year.
It means that if you still use a Windows Phone despite the lack of app support and are a keen WhatsApp user, you may will have found your phone now will not send and receive messages. But considering Microsoft itself no longer provides software support for its dead mobile platform, we can’t exactly blame WhatsApp for the decision.
Additionally, WhatsApp has confirmed that it no longer supports iPhones running iOS 8, though that officially happens at the end of February. The beginning of February will see WhatsApp shuttered on Android phones running Android 2.3.7 – but this is so ancient that hopefully no one will be affected ( via the Telegraph).
If you own an affected handset you will be annoyed but hopefully it’ll spur you to buy a newer, more secure device. All Windows Phones, iPhones on iOS 8 or earlier and Android phones with 2.3.7 are so old that they are no longer supported with important security updates, leaving your device and data vulnerable to security threats.
We know the pain of having to retire a favourite phone, but it’s for the best if your device is as old as this.
The death of Windows Phone is another matter.
Related stories for further reading
Author: Henry Burrell, Phones Editor
Henry is Tech Advisor’s Phones Editor, ensuring he and the team covers and reviews every smartphone worth knowing about for readers and viewers all over the world. He spends a lot of time moving between different handsets and shouting at WhatsApp to support multiple devices at once.