WhatsApp continues to evolve through updates that introduce new functions and improvements also on the security front. The Meta messaging app has maintained support for older versions of Android and iOS for a long time, allowing even those who own older smartphones to continue using the service. From the next one September 8, 2026However, this situation will change for some particularly old Android devices.
From this date, WhatsApp will stop supporting smartphones running Android 5.0 and Android 5.1 Lollipop. As a result, the application can no longer be used normally on devices still using these versions of the operating system. The decision concerns now very old smartphones, launched over ten years ago, and represents the conclusion of a process linked both to technological evolution and to the security needs of the application.
Android 5.0 Lollipop was released in November 2014 and is therefore preparing to reach twelve years since its debut. Smartphones still using Android 5.0 or 5.1 they are now obsolete devicesoften used above all for making and receiving telephone calls. The lack of support from the operating system manufacturer also leads to the absence of updates for some time, with consequent security risks.
What to do if you have a device that no longer supports WhatsApp?
The stop of WhatsApp is therefore also linked to the need to use devices with greater computing capacity and more updated systems. Once support ends, the app will no longer be updated and will stop working on affected smartphones. For users who still own one of these devices, the recommended solution is therefore to consider switching to a more recent smartphone, above all to avoid continuing to use a product that now lacks adequate security guarantees.
In most cases, in fact, a smartphone with Android 5.0 or 5.1 it cannot be officially updated to a newer version, such as Android 6.0. The only possibility could be represented by the installation of a custom ROM, but this is a complex and laborious operation, which also entails further consequences and is not a suitable solution for the majority of users.
Who wants to continue using WhatsApp you will therefore have to change device. However, there are numerous economic alternatives, even for a few tens of euros, which allow you to have a basic but sufficiently complete phone to use the messaging app. The other possibility is keep the old smartphone, but agree to give up WhatsApp and other applications that have already stopped supporting obsolete versions of Android.
