Over time, some apps are gradually disabled on older devices and that is the case here. Meta has announced that WhatsApp will no longer work on smartphones running older versions of Android.
WhatsApp stops working on subsequent smartphones
WhatsApp technical support has announced the end of support for the oldest Android devices. From Tuesday, the app may stop working on a small percentage of smartphones. “From October 24, 2023, only Android operating system version 5.0 and newer will be supported,” we read.
So far, the WhatsApp application has been adapted to work with smartphones with Android version 4.1 (or newer) and iOS 12 (or newer). Fortunately, the new rules should not affect the vast majority of users. Android 4.1 (also known as Jelly Bean) is a very old operating system that was announced by Google back in 2012.
For example, Sony Xperia Z debuted with this system a year later and became famous, among others, a waterproof casing and a very good five-inch Full HD screen (it’s hard to believe that 5 inches seemed like a significant value at that time). For many years, the vast majority of people have already managed to switch to newer smartphones, and the problem may only concern enthusiasts who have a sentiment for this type of classics.
Of course, Android 4.1 is no longer supported even by Google itself, but – interestingly – support for this operating system ended only two years ago (in July 2021). Therefore, smartphones that still use such an old system can no longer use, among others, from Google Play services. It is therefore impossible to install and update applications that have already been downloaded.
Source: Gazeta
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