WhatsApp is drawing another line under ageing smartphones, with devices stuck on Android 5.0 and Android 5.1 losing official support from September 8. iPhone users face a separate change later this year, although most affected Apple devices have a much easier route to staying compatible.
The immediate change raises WhatsApp’s minimum Android requirement to Android 6.0. Any phone capable of updating beyond Android 5.x can potentially avoid the cutoff, but devices permanently stuck on Lollipop will need to be replaced if their owners want to continue using WhatsApp.
It sounds like an aggressive move until you consider the age of the software involved. Android 5.0 arrived in November 2014, followed by Android 5.1 in March 2015. That puts affected operating systems at more than a decade old, well beyond their normal security-support lifespan.
The practical problem is that WhatsApp has become considerably more important than a typical mobile app. For many users it serves as a primary communications platform for family conversations, work, calls and sharing documents. Losing compatibility can therefore turn an otherwise functional old smartphone into something considerably less useful.
Anyone moving away from an affected Android handset should make sure their conversations are backed up before changing devices. WhatsApp supports backups through Google Drive, while local Android backups can also be moved to another compatible device. Checking that a recent backup actually exists before retiring the old phone is the sensible move.
Apple users get more time. From November 30, WhatsApp will require iOS 15.5 or newer, increasing the minimum from iOS 15.1. Crucially, that does not automatically exclude some of the older iPhones capable of running iOS 15.
Apple released iOS 15.8.8 in May 2026 for older hardware including the iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, first-generation iPhone SE, iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. Since that software version exceeds WhatsApp’s forthcoming iOS 15.5 requirement, users of those devices can remain compatible by installing the latest update available to them.
For iPhone owners, checking is straightforward: open Settings, select General and then Software Update. Android users should similarly check whether their manufacturer ever provided an Android 6.0 or later update before assuming a new phone is necessary.
Periodic support cuts are unavoidable for apps operating at WhatsApp’s scale. Maintaining compatibility with very old operating systems can complicate development and security, particularly when those platforms themselves stopped receiving meaningful security updates years ago.
The September 8 Android deadline will probably affect a relatively small slice of WhatsApp’s enormous user base, but anyone still carrying a Lollipop-era phone has reached the point where software compatibility — rather than broken hardware — may finally force an upgrade.
