Whatsapp: when will app stop working on iPhone 5 and IOS 11, can I update it, what other phones are affected?

Messaging app Whatsapp will soon stop working on older iPhones.

The app will stop providing support for earlier versions of Apple operating system iOS, meaning that it will stop working on iPhone models which cannot run the most updated version of iOS.

So, which IPhone models will be affected, and when will the change come in to effect?

Here’s what you need to know.

When will the change come in to effect?

Whatsapp will stop running on iOS 10 and iOS 11 in October 2022, according to WhatsApp-watching site WABetaInfo.

In its latest post, WABetaInfo says that iPhone users running iOS 10 and iOS 11 are seeing a message that reads: “Update to the latest version of iOS to continue using WhatsApp. WhatsApp will stop supporting this version of iOS after 24 Oct 2022.” It then advises: “Please go to Settings > General, then tap Software Update to get the latest iOS version.”

Anyone still using either of those versions of the operating system are urged to update their phone by the 24 October deadline to ensure they can still use Whatsapp.

If you have not updated your iOS by this date then you will no longer be able to use Whatsapp, which is the world’s most popular messaging app.

Which iPhone models will be affected?

The change will mean WhatsApp stops working on anything older than an iPhone 5S.

If you’re still using an iPhone 5 or 5c, which are over a decade old, then you’ll need to buy a new phone if you want to continue to be able to use Whatsapp.

Apple stopped supporting those iPhone models some time ago and can’t be updated past iOS 10. This means they are working without software or security updates

It’s commonplace for Apple to remove support for older iOS versions eventually so that they can offer new features which require the faster processors successive iPhones have provided.

This has upset some iPhone users who remain loyal to their older devices and see this as a way of forcing them to buy a new handset.

Some older iPhone models will still support Whatsapp, however.

If you have an iPhone 5s, iPhone 6 or 6s, which are around eight or nine years old, then you will be able to continue using WhatsApp as those devices can be updated.

What has Whatsapp said?

WhatsApp recommends it should be used on iPhones that are running iOS 12 at a minimum.

The way people use devices is constantly changing, so we regularly review ageing hardware models and software to ensure that we’re focusing our effort on the platforms that people use WhatsApp on most,” a WhatsApp spokesperson told Metro.

What will happen in the future?

The 2022 Apple Worldwide Developers Conference will begin on Monday 6 June, and people are expecting to learn more about the next iPhone, the iPhone 14, and also the next version of the iOS operating system, iOS 16.

There are also rumours that iOS 16 will not work on iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, as well as the original iPhone SE.

If you have one of these models, however, you don’t have to worry as Whatsapp will still work for now.