From January 2025, the WhatsApp messaging app will discontinue support for Android phones running on KitKat or earlier versions.
WhatsApp is one of those companies that do not end up taking action on its years-long announcements. The earlier one was related to WhatsApp becoming a paid app, which never happened, thanks to Meta taking over and stopping the notifications. The latest update is regarding support for older Android devices, which the company plans to stop from January 2025 onward.
It doesn’t seem like Meta will not be acting on this step. Starting January 2025, Android devices running KitKat and earlier operating systems. WhatsApp also extended the announcement to Apple devices, wherein iPhones running on iOS 15.1 or earlier will stop receiving support in the same timeline. iPhone users have until May 2025 to upgrade their devices to continue enjoying the new features with complete support from the company to secure their experience.
The new update will impact Android users of Samsung Galaxy S3, Samsung Galaxy Note 2, Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini, Motorola Moto G (1st Gen), Motorola Razr HD, Moto E 2014, HTC One X, One X+ - HTC Desire 500, 601 - LG Optimus G, L90, Nexus 4, G2 Mini, Sony Xperia Z, Xperia SP, Xperia T, and Xperia V. For the iOS systems getting locked out of support, the list includes iPhone 5s, 6, and 6 Plus.
This move comes amid a rapid inflow of new updates, especially around AI capabilities. While most new Android and iOS devices struggle to provide the computing power to run artificial intelligence tasks, the older ones just cannot perform any of them.
Meta has introduced a slew of new AI features on WhatsApp ahead of the holiday season to give its community a wholesome experience. The tech giant also introduced some limited-time features for WhatsApp, including:
- NYE calling effects, which offer festive theme backgrounds, filters, and effects for the New Year.
- Animated reactions that add a playful touch to the reactions of users on messages. One of them is the confetti explosion on reactions sent or received.
- A complete sticker pack built on the New Year theme with cheerful designs, holiday greeting messages, and avatars.
While these features enhance the virtual celebration experience on the app, the AI features help plan them better on the platform without manual research on the internet. In recent times, the upgrades brought on WhatsApp have made it a complete solution for many tasks beyond just messaging, making it one of the best messaging apps available for free.
