WhatsApp to Stop Working on Millions of Phones Beginning February 1

In the next couple of months, millions of phones will not have WhatsApp as one of the communicative apps operational seeing as the company is withdrawing support for some of the older mobile platforms.

Beginning February 1, 2020, any Android device running version 2.3.7 or older along side any iPhone running iOS 8 or older will no longer be supported.

People who are in possession of such devices are already unable to create new WhatsApp accounts or even re-verify already existing accounts.

In addition, from December 31, 2019, WhatsApp is withdrawing support for all Windows phones – the same month that Microsoft ends support of its Windows 10 Mobile OS.

“Because we no longer actively develop for these operating systems, some features might stop functioning at any time” WhatsApp said.

The Facebook-owned messenger service will continue to provide support for devices running Android 4.0.3 onwards and iPhones running iOS 9 and onwards.

“On iOS 8, you can no longer create new accounts or reverify existing accounts,” the company said in a blog post. “If WhatsApp is currently active on your iOS 8 device, you’ll be able to use it until February 1, 2020.”

Select phones running Linux-operated KaiOS 2.5.1 and older, including JioPhone and JioPhone 2, will also not be supported.

WhatsApp has been gradually phasing out support for various Smartphone platforms that “don’t offer the kind of capabilities we need to expand our app’s features in the future.”

“This was a tough decision for us to make, but the right one in order to give people better ways to keep in touch with friends, family, and loved ones using WhatsApp.” The company said.

WhatsApp is the latest casualty of Microsoft’s almost defunct Windows 10 Mobile operating system.

Microsoft itself had even urged that Windows 10 Mobile users should switch to Android or iOS devices because of its lack of app support earlier on in the year.

Windows Phone operating system was launched in October 2010 and then succeeded by Windows 10 Mobile in 2015.

In 2017, Microsoft announced that due to lack of market penetration and a dearth of interest from app developers, work on Windows 10 Mobile was drawing to a close.

Starting December 10, 2019, it will officially stop supporting Windows 10 Mobile, previously referred to as Windows Phone.

Facebook withdrew all its apps (Facebook, Messenger and Instagram) from Windows phones back in April.