WhatsApp will stop working on some older smartphones from January 1
INA – SOURCES
Older iPhone or Android phone, may lose access to WhatsApp altogether or some features on the messaging app from January 1, 2021.
The makers of the messaging app have confirmed support for older devices will stop in the New Year, and for some it may mean the app stops working altogether. One will only be impacted if no iOS 9 or above on iPhone or Android 4.0.3 or above on your Android device is availabe.
That means those with an iPhone 4 or below won't be able to upgrade to the latest software, and some much older Android phones will also be affected such as the Samsung Galaxy S2 that was released in 2011.
Some WhatsApp users will be able to upgrade their software to higher than iOS 9 or Android 4.0.3 to make sure they're not impacted, so we'd recommend checking to see what software you have if you're worried you may lose access.