In a decision that could impact millions of users around the world, Meta has announced that it will end support for WhatsApp on older Android smartphones starting January 1, 2025. More specifically, devices running on Android KitKat or older operating systems will no longer be able to run the popular instant messaging app.
This is hardly a surprise. WhatsApp, like any other app, must evolve over time in a bid to offer more features and greater functionality. The implementation of demanding features, particularly as the world moves to AI conveniences, requires more modern hardware and more advanced software integration. Older smartphones, beyond a limit, can’t support them which is why we see developers dropping support.
WhatsApp to stop working on these Android phones from January 1: Full list
Samsung: Galaxy S3, Galaxy Note 2, Galaxy Ace 3, Galaxy S4 Mini
Motorola: Moto G (Gen 1), Razr HD, Moto E 2014
HTC: One X, One X+, Desire 500, Desire 601
LG: Optimus G, Nexus 4, G2 Mini, L90
Sony: Xperia Z, Xperia SP, Xperia T, Xperia V
The way forward
If you are still using one of these devices as your daily driver, the logical way forward is to back up all your WhatsApp data to a newer device. Otherwise, all your media and chat history from WhatsApp may be gone after January 1, 2025.
Meta announced a similar end of support for iPhones a few months back, dropping support for iPhones running on iOS older than version 15.1. However, the platform will retain support for these iPhones until May 2025, but support for the above-mentioned Android phones ends starting next year itself. This is not the first time that WhatsApp has ended support for older devices. In 2020, the company ended support for phones running on Android 2.3.7 or older and iOS 8 or older.
The end of support for older Android phones is likely to affect a small number of users considering that the devices and software under the list is quite old and so, most people would probably have moved to newer versions. However, it is important to be aware of this change if you are still holding on to an older device.
Tech tips: How to back up your WhatsApp data on Android
- Open WhatsApp and go to Settings > Chats > Chat backup.
- Tap on Back Up to Google Drive and select a backup frequency.
- Tap on Back Up to start the backup process.
Once your data is backed up, you can restore it to a new device by following these steps:
- Install WhatsApp on your new device.
- Open WhatsApp and verify your phone number.
- When prompted, tap on Restore to restore your chat history from Google Drive and you’re good to go.
Follow FE Tech Bytes on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook
