In a move aimed at enhancing security and supporting more advanced features, WhatsApp has announced that it will officially discontinue support for older Android operating systems starting September 8, 2026. According to the latest reports from the Meta-owned platform, the minimum requirement for Android users will be raised to Android 6.0 (Marshmallow) or higher. This update primarily targets devices running Android 5.0 and 5.1 (Lollipop), which were launched over a decade ago. While these users currently represent a small fraction of the global base, the shift is necessary to integrate modern “agentic AI” capabilities and high-performance system features that older hardware simply cannot handle efficiently.
Affected users have already begun receiving in-app notifications warning them of the upcoming deadline. To avoid losing access to conversations and media, WhatsApp is strongly advising those on legacy devices to back up their chat history to Google Drive or local storage immediately. Once the September 8 cutoff passes, the app will cease to function on these devices, and users will be unable to send or receive messages unless they upgrade to a supported handset. This change is expected to have the most significant impact in regions like India, Brazil, and parts of Southeast Asia, where older smartphones are frequently repurposed as backup or secondary devices.
Importantly, this specific update does not affect iPhone users, as WhatsApp will continue to support iOS 15.1 and newer versions. For those on the impacted Android versions, the only path forward is to check for available system updates or transition to a newer smartphone. By narrowing its support range, WhatsApp aims to close the growing gap between modern software demands and aging hardware, ensuring that its massive user base enjoys a more stable, secure, and feature-rich messaging experience as the platform moves toward the Android 17 era.