It is official. WhatsApp blocked is a message that will soon hit many people with these phones. The list of phones includes iPhones too. If you add up the numbers, these phones have sold in the range of tens of millions and that is how many people may be affected. So, even though WhatsApp may have overtaken all of its rival mobile messaging apps, including Facebook Messenger, and boasts over two billion active monthly users, it has indicated its unwillingness to help out certain users with these phones. The app, which was acquired by Facebook in 2014, has grown in numbers by leaps and bounds and has become the most widely used messaging service in the world. WhatsApp is used in several countries, and is supported on a wide number of devices on Android, iOS and even KaiOS. It is being reported it will be very much present of JioPhone Next too. However, no device receives hardware support forever, and WhatsApp is no exception – it will stop working on certain phones in November.
WhatsApp blocked: Who will be impacted? As of November 2021, WhatsApp will stop working on devices that are running the outdated and old Android 4.0 or Ice Cream Sandwich. This means that users who have an old Android smartphone that is running Android 4.0 in November will no longer be able to use the service and will stop receiving updates. Instead, WhatsApp has bumped the minimum requirement for Android devices to Android 4.1, or Android Jelly Bean. This means that if users have an old device that is running Android Jelly Bean or higher, should be able to use WhatsApp just fine for the time being.
Also read: Looking for a smartphone? Check Mobile Finder here.
While it was previously suggested by leaker WABetaInfo that WhatsApp would stop supporting Android 4.0 starting in November, the company recently updated its website to show the date by which support for older devices will be discontinued. Supporting older versions of Android can be tricky, and leads to unwanted bloat in an app as well as reduced optimisation. “WhatsApp will no longer support Android phones running OS 4.0.4 and older on November 1, 2021. Please switch to a supported device or save your chat history before then,” the company says.
WhatsApp Blocked: List of phones affected
If you have an older smartphone like the Galaxy S3 or the LG Optimus L3, Galaxy Core, Huawei Ascend G740 and other similar devices, you will not be able to do anything as these devices do not have an upgrade available to Android 4.1 – necessitating a new smartphone, in this case. Users on iPhone 4S or older models will also not be able to use the messaging service as only iOS 10 and above will be officially supported from that date onwards.
WhatsApp Blocked: Solution
If you do have a system update beyond Android 4.0, you should upgrade the operating system in order to keep using the app. For old iPhone owners, WhatsApp is working on chat migration from Android to iOS (after releasing the ability to transfer from iOS to Android) which could come in handy for users thinking of making the switch.
Whatsapp Blocked: Full list of phones (43)
iPhone SE
iPhone 6S
iPhone 6S Plus
The Samsung Galaxy Trend Lite
Galaxy Trend II
Galaxy SII
Galaxy S3 mini
Galaxy Xcover 2
Galaxy Core
Galaxy Ace 2.
LG
The LG Lucid 2
Optimus F7
Optimus F5
Optimus L3 II Dual
Optimus F5
Optimus L5
Optimus L5 II
Optimus L5 Dual
Optimus L3 II
Optimus L7
Optimus L7 II Dual
Optimus L7 II
Optimus F6
Enact
Optimus L4 II Dual
Optimus F3
Optimus L4 II
Optimus L2 II
Optimus Nitro HD and 4X HD
Optimus F3Q
ZTE
ZTE Grand S Flex
ZTE V956
Grand X Quad V987
Grand Memo
Huawei Ascend G740
Ascend Mate
Ascend D Quad XL
Ascend D1 Quad XL
Ascend P1 S
Ascend D2.
The Sony Xperia Miro
Sony Xperia Neo L
Xperia Arc S
Miscellaneous
Alcatel One Touch Evo 7
Archos 53 Platinum
HTC Desire 500
Caterpillar Cat B15
Wiko Cink Five
Wiko Darknight
Lenovo A820
UMi X2
Faea F1
THL W8
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