WhatsApp support ended for older phones; is your mobile on the list?
WhatsApp has discontinued support for older smartphones, and users will now receive notifications regarding this within the app. To continue using the service, users must either update their handsets to the latest operating system (OS) or purchase a new mobile phone. Let’s look at the details.
WhatsApp has made a major announcement stating that support for several older smartphones has been discontinued. A report by Wabetainfo indicates that support for older smartphones was dropped starting September 8, 2026.
WhatsApp support has been discontinued for smartphones running on Android 5.0 and 5.1. Users of these devices will receive a notification alert within the app as soon as they open it.
Users of smartphones running on Android 5.0 and 5.1 have the option to update their handsets to the latest operating system (OS) version. If a new update is not available, users should purchase a new handset.
WhatsApp had made the announcement in April.
WhatsApp had announced back in April of this year that it would be discontinuing support for older handsets. The company has now ended that support; WhatsApp will now support Android 6.0 Marshmallow as the minimum requirement.
WABetainfo's post
WhatsApp ends support for older Android versions today!
— WABetaInfo (@WABetaInfo) September 7, 2026
Starting today, WhatsApp no longer works on devices with Android 5.0 or 5.1.https://t.co/dU68MD1pJ1 pic.twitter.com/eYkXgd4Qx2
Old handsets are present in many countries, including India.
A report by Wabetainfo highlights that in several countries—including India, Pakistan, and Brazil—older devices are still widely used. These devices run on Android 5 or even older operating system versions.
Why does WhatsApp discontinue support for older Android versions?
WhatsApp frequently releases new features, and these features are often compatible only with specific Android versions; many of them do not support older Android operating systems. Consequently, WhatsApp has stopped supporting Android 5.0 and older versions.