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WhatsApp Drops Support for These iPhone Models

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WhatsApp has ended support for iOS versions older than iOS 15.1, removing the chat platform's compatibility with several iPhone models in the process. The change began on June 1, after Meta delayed it from an original planned date of May 5.

Whatsapp-Feature.jpg

WhatsApp is no longer compatible with iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, and iPhone 6 Plus models. Users with those devices won't be able to access the encrypted chat service through the app unless they upgrade their iPhone. Alternatively, users can visit web.whatsapp.com in their browser, but the experience won't be the same.

Users who intend to upgrade can back up their WhatsApp chats to iCloud, and restore their full chat and media history to a newer, supported device using using WhatsApp's Chat Transfer feature. Instructions on how to do so are outlined in WhatsApp's Help Center.

In related developments, WhatsApp is now available on the iPad, coming more than 15 years after the messaging service launched. An Instagram app for the iPad is also in the works.

Article Link: WhatsApp Drops Support for These iPhone Models
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2025/06/03/whatsapp-drops-support-iphone-models/
Last edited:
zombierunner said:
Is there anyone using iPhone 5s? 6? 6S :oops:💀
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I'd say there are a few around. Still decent phones aside that Apple has dropped support and don't update them anymore.
The new EU Ecodesign Regulation is a step in the right directon towards pushing manufacturers to support devices longer. Wouldn't have helped in this case tho.
 
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Telegram still supports iOS 12, although it is more limited with its features. :rolleyes:
 
Using a dedicated phone for Facebook marketplace, was using an iPhone 6 for a while until some of the features stopped working, was forced to upgrade to a seven which gave a bump to iOS 15 and for now am receiving app updates.

In reality it’s not necessarily Apple forcing us to buy new devices but the app developers dropping support for older iOS versions even though they still can release them as some of the developers do.
 
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JosephAW said:
Using a dedicated phone for Facebook marketplace, was using an iPhone 6 for a while until some of the features stopped working, was forced to upgrade to a seven which gave a bump to iOS 15 and for now am receiving app updates.

In reality it’s not necessarily Apple forcing us to buy new devices but the app developers dropping support for older iOS versions even though they still can release them as some of the developers do.
Click to expand...
It's getting more and more expensive to cherry-picks what features work for which phones. So dropping it is the most logical option.
 
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My dad was using a 6S until a few months ago.

He's 70, it still worked great for him, I got him a 3rd gen SE because I had to change the battery again and the storage was getting too thin. So... even what was starting to give problems was part of Apple's planned obsolescence agenda.

I mean, ten years seems like a lot but a fridge that costs $1000 can last 30 years, why shouldn't a phone?
 
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cicalinarrot said:
My dad was using a 6S until a few months ago.

He's 70, it still worked great for him, I got him a 3rd gen SE because I had to change the battery again and the storage was getting too thin. So... even what was starting to give problems was part of Apple's planned obsolescence agenda.

I mean, ten years seems like a lot but a fridge that costs $1000 can last 30 years, why shouldn't a phone?
Click to expand...
Software & security advancements render older tech obsolete. You had your mileage out of the 6s so I don't know what you're complaining about.

Buying a 3rd Gen SE wasn't a very wise choice as it was already a few years old when you got it a few months ago.
 
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Steve121178 said:
Software & security advancements render older tech obsolete. You had your mileage out of the 6s so I don't know what you're complaining about.

Buying a 3rd Gen SE wasn't a very wise choice as it was already a few years old when you got it a few months ago.
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It may not be wise but it was the last one with the form factor from 2014 and later.

Facebook introducing end to end encryption caused older versions of the app to no longer work.
 
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cicalinarrot said:
You're right, 30 is too much for recent models, around 20 can happen, average is less.
Still twice as much as iPhone's average and maximum lifespan :)
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You can’t compare a $1000 fridge to a $1000 phone. First the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus didn’t cost $1000, that didn’t happen for a few more generations. Second, your only complaint was battery and storage limits. Batteries are consumed over time and must be replaced, leaving you with a working phone. Storage limits just means you have to migrate data off the device a lot more frequently.

Finally, it’s given that computers become obsolete over time, especially so for those connected to an open network. If your device becomes unsupported for security updates, you should probably consider replacing with a refurbished device or whatever lowest end model is available at the time.
 
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zombierunner said:
Is there anyone using iPhone 5s? 6? 6S :oops:💀
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Those are fun smartphones tho!
Cameras are good, form factor is nice (especially 5s, my favorite. Apple needs to consider bringing such a small phone back but with modern display).

WhatsApp gave them solid enough support I would say, more than 12 years. Tho I would love them not to make it impossible to use the app on these old phones and just bring some warning like “your chats are not encrypted”
 
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Steve121178 said:
Software & security advancements render older tech obsolete. You had your mileage out of the 6s so I don't know what you're complaining about.

Buying a 3rd Gen SE wasn't a very wise choice as it was already a few years old when you got it a few months ago.
Click to expand...
Nah SE 2022 is good and will work good until 2032 at least. It has a small screen and fast enough processor to handle new iOS updates with no hassle
 
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cicalinarrot said:
My dad was using a 6S until a few months ago.

He's 70, it still worked great for him, I got him a 3rd gen SE because I had to change the battery again and the storage was getting too thin. So... even what was starting to give problems was part of Apple's planned obsolescence agenda.

I mean, ten years seems like a lot but a fridge that costs $1000 can last 30 years, why shouldn't a phone?
Click to expand...
Yes, unfortunately manufacturers always brag about eco stuff yet they fail to meet basic sustainability criteria.

I mean, why am I reusing the same old Lavazza metal cans at home for storing stuff and cannot reuse old phone made from metal and plastic? Doesn’t add up.

Meta (Facebook) unfortunately thinks iPhone users are some sort of luxury people. For Android they have whole world of stuff, WhatsApp works even on phones as old as Android 5.0 (2014!), as well as there are light versions of their popular apps for older or slow devices, some install them on flagships for better battery life.

Btw did a similar swap as you for my grandma. First gave her my older 6s but recently it started rebooting on its own randomly, so I decided to give her my SE2022 which I lost interest in
 
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Steve121178 said:
Software & security advancements render older tech obsolete. You had your mileage out of the 6s so I don't know what you're complaining about.

Buying a 3rd Gen SE wasn't a very wise choice as it was already a few years old when you got it a few months ago.
Click to expand...
The SE was just like the 6S my father had and very cheap, virtually unbeatable in terms of price per year of life.

Apple renders older tech obsolete. I use very old PCs and they work perfectly. The way I use them hasn't changed in more than a decade, no reason to get new ones for most use cases.
I had my mileage? Again, most annoying thing I couldn't fix was the storage, something Apple has historically kept low and pricey to make phones older earlier. Plus how bad media backup via USB works, I could talk about their evil methods all day long.

You are just accepting the lifespan Apple chose for you as a universal truth, which is exactly what they wanted. Phones could last longer, Apple just doesn't want them to. A phone with its battery glued inside with no possibility for most users to safely replace it was something almost unthinkable before the iPhone. They could make a Mac-like time machine to store media directly to a drive via USB, that'd make a whole lot of sense.

And, of course, using a 9 year old iPhone is an exception.

IMHO, once the company drops official support for a product, they should be legally required to unlock it 100%. Otherwise, they are just entitled to choose how much I can use the thing I bought. That's not how buying things works, that's a sick form of rent.
I decide when the phone is too old to work properly for me like I do with all other things I own. Hey, if they're right, they have nothing to lose.
 
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zombierunner said:
Is there anyone using iPhone 5s? 6? 6S :oops:💀
Click to expand...
Have two that still work decent that my kids play around with and stream music too.

It’s the apps that make it less appealing. Still my favourite phone - the perfect size and loved the camera and less in-camera photo processing.
 
MacRumors said:


WhatsApp has ended support for iOS versions older than iOS 15.1, removing the chat platform's compatibility with several iPhone models in the process. The change began on June 1, after Meta delayed it from an original planned date of May 5.
Click to expand...

iOS 15.1 is kind of a strange number to stop at when 15.8.4 was the last. Is there anyone on a phone that can run iOS 15 that isn't on 15.8.x? Perhaps just the programmers being precise about the exact minimum API they need to work properly? In which case I do appreciate...
 
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