WhatsApp Stopped Working On These Android Phones From September 8: Check If Your Phone Is Affected

The most popular messaging app, WhatsApp has officially shut its support for older Android phones, running on Android 5.0 or Android 5.1.
Users who are using this version will no longer use the messaging platform from September 8, 2026 as from now onwards, the minimum Android requirement has now been raised to Android 6.0.

Users whose phones can be upgraded to Android 6.0 or newer version will be able to use WhatsApp, while those are still on Android 5 may need to replace their devices

The change is going to be applicable for both WhatsApp Messenger and WhatsApp Business. According to WhatsApp's official Help Center, the platform has been designed to stop supporting older operating systems so it can keep up with newer technology, security and news features.

What Changes after WhatsApp Android Support Ends

Till September 7, WhatsApp supported Android phones running on Android 5.0 and newer versions. However, from September 8, only devices running Android 6.0 and new ones are supported. So Android 5.0 Lollipop and Android 5.1 Lollipop are now below WhatsApp's minimum requirement.

Importantly, WhatsApp has not released an official blacklist of phone models.Therefore, the best way to find out whether a device is affected is to check which version of Android it is running.

How To Check Your Android Version

If you want to Check what version is your phone, you can quickly check whether their phone is affected by following these steps:
Step 1: Open Settings on your Android phone.
Step 2: Scroll down to About Phone or About Device.
Step 3: Look for Android Version or Software Information.
Step 4: Check the Android version installed on the phone.
If the device is running Android 6.0 Marshmallow or later, there is no need to worry about this particular WhatsApp cutoff.

If it is running Android 5.0 or 5.1, check whether a software update is available from the phone manufacturer.

Is WhatsApp Stopping On iPhones?

No, this particular change does not impact the iPhone users. According to WhatsApp's current support information, iOS 15.1 and newer will be for iPhones However, WhatsApp has separately announced that from November 30th, the minimum iPhone requirement will move to iOS 15.5.