WhatsApp is expected to stop working on 49 smartphones for millions of users this month in a major update
- WhatsApp messaging service will no longer work on older phones
- WhatsApp will stop working on older iPhone and Android models
- Affected users will receive an alert through the app
By David Southwell for Daily Mail Australia
Published: | Update:
Popular messaging service WhatsApp is about to stop working on millions of phones.
Seniors iPhone and android models will no longer be able to use the app after December 31 without receiving an upgrade.
WhatsApp will stop working on 49 brands of phones, including the iPhone 5 or 5c as well as several HuaweiLG and Samsung models.

Popular messaging service WhatsApp will stop working on millions of phones in the new year
However, users of these phones will get an alert from WhatsApp before it stops working.
“Devices and software change often, so we regularly review the operating systems we support and make updates,” the messaging app said.
“These devices may also lack the latest security updates or lack the features required to run WhatsApp.”
“To choose what to stop supporting, every year, like other tech companies, we look at which devices and software are the oldest and have the fewest people still using them.”
To update your operating system on an iPhone, go to “General” settings and select “Software Update”.
If your device can’t run the updated software, you’ll need a newer phone to do so.

People with older iPhone, Huawei, LG and Samsung models will need to upgrade to keep WhatsApp working (stock image shown)
In October, WhatsApp stopped working on iPhones using iOS 11 and earlier software.
“To keep up with the latest technological advancements, we regularly stop supporting older operating systems to direct our resources towards supporting the latest,” the messaging service said.
In November, it launched a new tool called “Message Yourself,” which, as the name suggests, lets you send notes, reminders, and updates to yourself.
This feature is available on android and iPhone and allows you to start a 1:1 conversation with yourself in the WhatsApp application.
It helps users keep track of their to-do lists, send each other notes, reminders or shopping lists.

To update your operating system on an iPhone, go to “general” settings and select “Software Update”
Before that WhatsApp has launched a new tool called Communitieswhich allows you to send messages to multiple groups at once.
The tool allows users to consolidate multiple group chats under a single topic and share updates with all of them.
Mark Zuckerberggeneral manager of Metathe parent company of WhatsApp, said: “Today we are launching communities on WhatsApp.
“It enhances groups by enabling subgroups, multiple threads, announcement channels, etc.”
BEST WHATSAPP ALTERNATIVES
If you’re considering deleting WhatsApp, you’ll be happy to know that there are several alternative apps to choose from:
1. Telegram
With over 400 million users, Telegram is one of the most popular WhatsApp alternatives.
Although it looks a lot like WhatsApp, what sets it apart is the fact that it offers the option to set messages to self-destruct after a specified period without leaving a trace.
Telegram also offers end-to-end encryption.
However, as a WhatsApp spokesperson pointed out, Telegram “does not offer end-to-end encryption by default, so it is not necessarily more secure than WhatsApp.”
2. Report
Signal is one of the most secure messaging apps, thanks to the fact that it’s open-source.
This means that the app’s code is publicly available, making it nearly impossible for the app’s creators to sneak through backdoors that could allow governments or hackers to spy on your messages.
3. iMessage
If you’re using an iPhone, you might just consider switching to iMessage, Apple’s own messaging app.
The app has a number of awesome features, including no character limit, the ability to send images and videos, and of course Apple’s animated emoji feature, Animoji.
Unfortunately, iMessage is only available for iPhone users, so you’ll have a hard time interacting with anyone using an Android.
4. Google Mail
Google’s answer to iMessage is Google Messages, an Android-only messaging service.
The app replaces your standard SMS app and integrates with all Google apps and services, making it easy to share images or use Google Assistant.
5. Facebook Messaging
If you’ve been deterred from using WhatsApp due to sharing data with Facebook, Facebook Messenger might not be the best option for you.
However, the app offers a number of useful features, including games, secret chats, and video calls.
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