WhatsApp will stop working on cell phones with Android 5

The change will occur in two stages: from September 8, 2026, the application will only be compatible with devices that have the Android 6 operating system or later.

On November 30th, it will be iPhones' turn: the minimum requirement will go from iOS 15.1 to iOS 15.5, but there is no generation of models that will no longer be compatible. iPhone 6s and 7 users will only need to update their devices.

According to WhatsApp, the periodic review of compatible systems seeks to allow the application to keep up with technological and security advances.

The company states that, before discontinuing support, it sends notices to affected users and recommends updating the device, when possible.

ANDROIDA From September 8th, cell phones that remain on Android 5.0 or 5.1 will no longer be able to use WhatsApp. Android 6 was released in 2015.

WhatsApp does not release an official list of affected models. The company only informs the minimum version of the system, which means that the same model may or may not be reached, depending on the version of Android installed and the updates made available by the manufacturer.

Among the old devices that were associated with Android 5 and may be affected are:

GOOGLE

Nexus 4Nexus 7 (2012)Nexus 10

MOTOROLA

Moto G (1st generation)Moto G 4GMoto X (1st generation)Moto E (1st generation)Moto E (2nd generation, in some versions)

SAMSUNG

Galaxy S4 and variantsGalaxy Note 3 and Note 3 NeoGalaxy S5 MiniGalaxy Grand Prime

SONY

Xperia ZXperia Z1Xperia Z1 CompactXperia Z UltraXperia E3Xperia M2Xperia T3

LG

LG G2 and G2 MiniLG G3 StylusLG L PrimeLG L Slim

WHAT ABOUT IPHONES?

In the case of Apple cell phones, the change will be different. Today, WhatsApp is compatible with iOS 15.1 or later, but starting November 30th, it will require iOS 15.5 or later.

This means that some users will just need to update the system. There is, at this time, a new wave of iPhone models that will definitely be without WhatsApp because of this change.

This is because devices that can run iOS 15.1 are also capable of receiving iOS 15.5. Apple says iOS 15.5 is compatible with iPhone 6s and later models.

Models that may be affected if they are out of date include:

iPhone 6siPhone 6s PlusiPhone SE (1st generation)iPhone 7iPhone 7 Plus

These devices still receive updates to the iOS 15 line. Apple, for example, made iOS 15.8.8 available for the iPhone 6s, iPhone 7 and 1st generation iPhone SE in May 2026.

Older models, such as iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus and iPhone 5s, are unable to update to iOS 15.5. However, they are already outside of WhatsApp's current requirements, which, since the previous change, require iOS 15.1 or later.

Therefore, they will not be affected by a further outage in November, as they are no longer compatible with the app.

HOW TO KNOW IF YOUR CELL PHONE WILL BE AFFECTED

ON ANDROID

Open Settings and look for "About phone" or "About device". Depending on the manufacturer, you may need to go into "Software Information." Check the Android version.

If your device is running Android 5.0 or 5.1, check to see if an update is available. If not, you will need to change your device to continue using WhatsApp from September 8th.

ON IPHONE

Open Settings > General > About and look for the iOS version information.

If your device is between iOS 15.1 and 15.4, you can update it to a later version, as long as there is an update available for the model. Apple maintains the iPhone 6s and later models among the devices compatible with the iOS 15 line.

To check for an update, go to Settings > General > Software Update.

AND THE CONVERSATIONS?

Before changing devices or updating the system, the user must make a backup of their conversations. This way, the history can be restored to a compatible device, as long as the backup is available and the transfer process is done correctly.

WhatsApp states that it usually warns users before it stops supporting a certain version of the operating system.