WhatsApp officially ended technical support for Android smartphones still running versions 5.0 and 5.1 of the Lollipop operating system. This change took effect on September 8th, setting a new minimum technical barrier for users of the messaging application.
With this change, affected devices can no longer receive security updates, new features, or technical support from Meta, the owner of WhatsApp. The decision marks the end of a support cycle that had already lasted several years for these versions of Android.
Users who have smartphones with these versions of the Android operating system are now unable to use WhatsApp safely and functionally. The recommendation is that owners of these devices consider updating the operating system or, as a last resort, replacing the device with a newer one.
This is not the first time WhatsApp has cut support for old versions of Android. Previously, the company had already abandoned support for Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and for iPhones with iOS 8 and earlier, following a trend of continuous modernization of its platforms.
