A recent alert has been issued to WhatsApp users, warning that failure to take action promptly could result in losing access to the popular app later this year. The discerning team at WABetaInfo has noted that the renowned chat application might no longer be compatible with older Android devices.
This change is attributed to Meta, the parent company of the app, planning to discontinue support for outdated versions of the Google-operated system. Consequently, millions of users may face sudden inaccessibility to WhatsApp.
WABetaInfo reports that devices running on Android 6 or earlier will be impacted by this restriction starting September 8, 2026. While this decision may not sit well with some users, it is expected to primarily affect a minority. Android 6 was launched back in 2015, and the current version is Android 16.
Despite the small percentage of global Android devices still operating on Android 5, estimated at about 0.69% according to Statcounter, this equates to roughly 3 million devices out of over 4 billion Android users worldwide.
If you are still using a phone from approximately a decade ago, it may function as usual for now. However, post-September 8, WhatsApp could cease to operate on such devices abruptly. The most viable solution would be to upgrade to a newer Android device, a prudent decision considering that phones running on outdated software are devoid of recent security updates and may struggle with modern applications.
In addition to the announcement, WABetaInfo has shared a sneak peek from a forthcoming WhatsApp update displaying a warning message: “Later this year, WhatsApp won’t work on this device.” Therefore, this could be an opportune moment to verify the software version on your Android phone. If you suspect you might be affected, you still have a few months to address the situation.
