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.”