WhatsApp will soon impose stricter requirements on Android devices, resulting in thousands of mobile phones being denied access to the popular messaging app.
WhatsApp is currently available for Android devices with Jelly Bean 4.1 and above. However, as of October 24, 2023, the app will no longer work on Jelly Bean or KitKat version devices.
As technology advances, supporting older versions of Android requires additional effort and increases app size. This is not always feasible or beneficial for developers.
Because of this, Meta (Whatsapp’s parent company) has decided to end support for his KitKat on its messaging platform.
It’s been almost two years since WhatsApp last raised its minimum requirements. In November 2021, the app stopped working on Android 4.0.4, making Android 4.1 the new minimum version.
Read more : Instagram now let you download reels from the platform
Now, in a few months, the minimum requirements will be raised to Android Lollipop. WhatsApp officially states on its support page that from October 24th, only devices running Android OS 5.0 and above will be supported.
This means that he will no longer be able to use WhatsApp on devices running Android 4.1 or Android 4.4. According to the latest Android version distribution data, these devices make up less than 1% of his total active devices. The recent WhatsApp beta has already pointed out that it requires Android Lollipop 5.0 for installation, and this requirement is included in some stable versions such as version 2.23.9.5. However, previous versions are compatible until his October 24th.
After the specified date, users with incompatible devices will see the message “WhatsApp has stopped working on this phone.”
The only way to keep accessing your apps is to upgrade to a newer Android version (which can be difficult unless you choose a custom ROM) or buy a new mobile device with a newer Android version.
If you are currently using Android 4.1 or Android 4.4, we recommend that you respond by October 24th. For now, Telegram still supports Android 4.4 and remains an alternative messaging app for those with incompatible devices.
