Starting Monday, November 1st, WhatsApp will no longer support a number of Android devices. As a result of the update, affected users will lose all of their chats unless they have been backed up and exported. WhatsApp has also advised customers to upgrade to a supported smartphone in order to continue using its instant messaging service. Android 4.1 and later smartphones are among those supported by the app. WhatsApp also works with updated iOS and KaiOS running systems.
WhatsApp has announced, via an updated FAQ page, that it will no longer support phones running Android 4.0.4 and previous versions as of Monday. Users who are affected are encouraged to switch to a supported device and save their conversation history before the deadline.
How to check if WhatsApp is ending support for your Android device
WhatsApp has not yet specified which devices would be removed from its app’s support list. You can, however, use the procedures below to determine whether WhatsApp is discontinuing support for your Android device.
- Go to the Settings and select About phone.
- Scroll down to find the Android version that is running on your smartphone.
- If it is Android 4.0.4 or lower, you should consider upgrading to a device that has a higher version of Android.
If you are one of the impacted users, you can export your conversation history by either making a backup of your talks or exporting individual or group chats.
From the WhatsApp settings, navigate to Settings > Chats > Chat backup > Back up. You may also export a single or group chat by opening it and using the three-dot menu in the top-right corner of your screen. You must now select More > Export conversation. WhatsApp will also allow you to pick whether to export your chat with media files such as audio, photos, and videos received in the chat or without any media files.
