Do you know WhatsApp won’t work on 21 phones in 2025? Do you know the phones to be affected include brands like Samsung, Motorola, and Apple (iPhones), among other brands?
Effective January 2025, WhatsApp, one of the world’s most widely used messaging apps, will no longer work on 21 phones. This means that all individuals using these phones will be cut off from the messaging app.
The changes to WhatsApp’s compatibility with phone operating systems mean some older smartphones will no longer be able to load WhatsApp.
This is something that happens every year. The 21 phones are divided into 18 Android models and 3 iPhone models. If your phone is listed, you should start considering getting a new phone that supports WhatsApp and transferring your messages to it as soon as possible.
While the number of people affected is not expected to be large, information available to the tech team at Ghana Education News indicates that mobile phones released around ten years ago or earlier but have supported WhatsApp until now will be the most affected.
If you are not using a brand or version of a smartphone that is 10 years old or older, there is no need to worry.
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BUY CHEAP DATA NOWWhatsApp’s first compatibility update will affect all unsupported mobile devices with the app starting January 1, 2025.
This update will instantly stop supporting Android’s KitKat OS in addition to any older versions.
Some users who still have KitKat on their phones will still be able to use WhatsApp, provided their device can be updated to a more recent OS.
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BUY TOP 2026 BECE MOCKS AND ANSWERSHowever, there are a number of older phone models that are no longer provided with official updates by their maker.
This means they can’t be updated to a more recent OS unless the user attempts certain types of DIY tinkering, which would void the phone’s warranty and insurance and risk ‘bricking’ it (rendering it inoperable.)
Here is a list of Android phones known to be affected by the January 1 change at the time of publishing:
Here’s a simple table organizing the phones:
| Brand | Model |
|---|---|
| Samsung | Galaxy S3, Galaxy Note 2, Galaxy Ace 3, Galaxy S4 Mini |
| Motorola | Moto G (1st Gen), Razr HD, Moto E 2014 |
| HTC | One X, One X+, Desire 500, Desire 601 |
| LG | Optimus G, Nexus 4, G2 Mini, L90 |
| Sony | Xperia Z, Xperia SP, Xperia T, Xperia V |
| Apple (iPhone) | iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus |
Notes:
- Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, states that these changes are part of regular updates to ensure the app remains secure and functional on newer devices.
- Later in 2025, WhatsApp will stop being supported on iPhones of a similar age.
- From May 5, 2025, WhatsApp will no longer work on iOS versions earlier than 15.1.
- While some iPhone users with older iOS versions can update their phones, others can only update to iOS 12.5.7, which will no longer support WhatsApp.
READ: How to Get Started with WhatsApp Marketing
These changes affect both the regular WhatsApp application and WhatsApp Business, which has the same system requirements.
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