WhatsApp to cut support for three iPhones... check if your devices made the list
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WhatsApp is set to cut service for three iPhones next year. A website investigating app beta versions found a hidden alert that the Meta-owned messaging service is set to revamp its service by May 5, 2025, with upgrades not available for iPhone 5s, iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.
![['WhatsApp is providing a five-month notice period, giving them [older iPhone users] ample time to update their devices if possible or consider alternatives if their hardware does not support newer iOS versions,' according to the tech expert who discovered the service advisory]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/03/19/92756191-14154059-image-a-13_1733254696215.jpg)
The smartphones lack support for Apple's iOS 15.1, which is set to be a prerequisite for the messaging software, and only have the ability for iOS 12.5.7. Industry watchers noted that the announcement won't impact WhatsApp users who enjoy the service on Android devices.
Some speculated that the Meta-owned app was monitoring its internal data on the service's total number of older iPhone users before deciding it was an appropriate time to cut this likely modest number of customers. For those looking to upgrade their phones to keep up with WhatsApp, experts recommended 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 of WhatsApp's plans — after exploring how the latest versions of WhatsApp now run in 'TestFlight,' Apple's system for developers road-testing new apps.
WhatsApp's alert, Salem reported, '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.'. WhatsApp (above, on screen), Meta's internationally popular messaging and voice-over-IP call service, will no longer be compatible with old iPhone 5s, 6 and 6 Plus devices next year. The announcement comes as the messaging app plans serious upgrades to its services for May 2025.
