WhatsApp has just indicated on its official website that the application will no longer be supported on several still very popular phone models.
WhatsApp may be a widely used application around the world, but its developers must still update it regularly to avoid security vulnerabilities and various bugs. These updates may also lead to the end of application monitoring for older devices, as has been the case regularly for several years.
In a notification sent recently to several devices, WhatsApp informs its users of a rather radical decision to come: the application will soon no longer be supported on certain popular smartphones. This decision allows WhatsApp developers to continue to offer new features and correct application bugs on a majority of devices. Unfortunately, some smartphones that are too old cannot support the newer updates that are offered, and that is why developers have to abandon these devices.
The notification sent to users concerns those who have an iPhone with iOS version 15.1 or earlier. This update dates from September 2021 and turns out to be a little too old to be supported by WhatsApp today, which has therefore decided to abandon it from May 5, 2025. You will therefore no longer be able to use WhatsApp or expose yourself to cybersecurity risks. It is therefore strongly recommended to update your iPhone to a more recent version.
This information primarily concerns owners of iPhone 5s, iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. These three devices are not compatible with version 15.1 of iOS, so they cannot install the update allowing them to continue using WhatsApp. If you have one of these iPhones, it is therefore advisable to upgrade to a newer model. As a reminder, the iPhone 5S, 6 and 6 Plus were released in September 2013 and 2014 respectively. They are therefore smartphones with almost ten years of experience and which are exposed to multiple risks in terms of cybersecurity.
However, these three models are still widely used today. It is estimated that the iPhone 5s represented 64% of Apple’s sales when it was released and this model was a real hit at the time. It is therefore certain that multiple iPhone 5s are still in circulation today and are still used despite the fact that they cannot support the latest updates from Apple.
