[CLSTR]
< Back to situations

Monitor this situation.

[SITUATION] · [ACTIVE] · [TECHNOLOGY]

2 clusters · 34 sources · 5 days · First seen · Last updated

WhatsApp mobile operating system requirement updates

Overview

WhatsApp announced plans to raise its minimum operating system requirements, affecting older smartphone models. The initial update specified that starting September 8, 2026, the service would no longer support Android 5.0 or 5.1 (Lollipop), requiring at least Android 6.0 (Marshmallow). The company also noted that Apple users would face similar requirements for iOS 15.5 or newer starting in late November 2026.

Meta, the parent company, stated these updates are necessary to “keep pace with technological advancements, ensure high-level security through modern encryption protocols, and support new features.”

Following the September 8 deadline, WhatsApp officially ended support for Android 5.0 and 5.1 for both the standard Messenger and WhatsApp Business applications. Users on affected devices must use Android 6.0 or higher to maintain access. The company cautioned that even Android 6.0 is aging and may lack regular security updates, suggesting that users unable to upgrade their software may need to transition to newer hardware.

Entities

Android · WhatsApp · Meta · Google · Google Drive

Timeline

  1. 1 day ago

    [TECHNOLOGY] 2 sources
    WhatsApp ends support for older Android devices

    WhatsApp has ceased support for Android 5.0 and 5.1, requiring users to upgrade to Android 6.0 or newer to continue using the messaging service.

  2. 6 days ago

    [TECHNOLOGY] 32 sources
    WhatsApp ends support for older Android and iOS devices

    WhatsApp is ending support for older devices starting September 8, 2026, requiring at least Android 6.0. iPhone users will need iOS 15.5 or higher starting November 30, 2026.

Sources

4gnews.pt · ad-hoc-news.de · akhbarona.com · al-wattan.net · animaux.jhm-blogs.fr · aqarlight.com · borncity.com · gamemag.it · gorogly.com · gzt.com · hypedancestudios.com · kabartarakan.com · leak.pt · merkur.de · nextme.it · nieuws365.be · nra.lv · royanews.tv · ruhr24.de · schmidtisblog.de · shiftdelete.net · sumeks.disway.id · tabletzona.es · teknologi.id · telefonino.net · telepolis.pl · theneutral.pk · timesnownews.com · tomsguide.fr · viva.co.id · warszawawpigulce.pl · webnews.it · webtekno.com · wochentlich.de