Certain iPhones to be locked out of WhatsApp from Monday
Brits are being warned that certain iPhone devices will be left unable to access WhatsApp from Monday (May 5).
iPhone users operating on old iOS software will have received a notification from WhatsApp late last year informing them they will soon be unable to run the app on their device.
You can currently use the instant messaging app on iPhones with iOS 12 or newer.
However, as of May 2025, you will be required to have iOS 15.1 or above to continue using WhatsApp, according to WABetaInfo.
The WhatsApp experts explained: "One of the main reasons for this change is that newer versions of iOS include updated APIs and improved technologies that WhatsApp relies on to deliver new features.
"By not supporting older versions, WhatsApp will be able to optimize the app and introduce new features that simply wouldn't be possible with outdated operating systems."
The iPhones affected by this change that will be left unable to access WhatsApp from May are:
iPhone 5s
iPhone 6
iPhone 6 Plus
These iPhones are unable to update to iOS 15.1, which is the minimum requirement to access WhatsApp from May, as iOS 12.5.7 is the last supported release for these models.
WhatsApp provided iPhone users a five-month notice period, enabling them time to update their devices.
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But this notice period is coming to an end in the next few days.
Anyone with an iPhone that has software older than iOS 15.1, from May 5, won't be able to access WhatsApp.
This will apply to both the standard and business versions of WhatsApp.
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