If you own an older Android phone, the clock is ticking for your WhatsApp. Starting tomorrow, the popular messaging app won’t be at your service if your device runs on a version of Android earlier than 5.0 Lollipop, as they’ve been warning for some time.
WhatsApp Abandons Outdated Android Versions: Are You Affected?
WhatsApp is bidding farewell to the older Android versions like Jelly Bean and KitKat, leaving them in the digital dust. If you’re still clinging to these aging operating systems, you should have seen the writing on the wall. The app has been sending out notifications about its impending retirement for a while.
Until today, WhatsApp was compatible with Android 4.1 and up, but that changes tomorrow. From now on, you’ll need at least Android 5.0 to keep chatting with your friends on WhatsApp. This means Android Jelly Bean 4.1 and KitKat 4.4 are no longer supported.
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To put things into perspective, Android Jelly Bean 4.1 surfaced over a decade ago in 2012. While KitKat’s latest version, 4.4.4, was last seen on July 7, 2014. These versions are archaic, with less than 1% of active Android phones still using them today.
If you’re one of the few still clinging to WhatsApp on Android 4.1 or 4.4, you’ve likely been getting those warning messages. Starting tomorrow, the app won’t open, showing only a message with a button for more info. You can try changing your phone’s date settings. But that’s a temporary fix and only works if you activate airplane mode, rendering you unable to chat.
In short, you have a 24-hour deadline to move your WhatsApp data to a more modern Android device, running Android 5.0 or later. Given that even Google dropped support for Google Play services on KitKat, your best bet is to transfer your chats directly, without relying on Google Drive. Don’t procrastinate; the time to act is now. WhatsApp waits for no one.
