WhatsApp will stop running on MILLIONS of older phones at the end of this month

Are you affected? WhatsApp will stop running on MILLIONS of older phones at the end of this month

• The Facebook-owned app will phase out support for older phones.
• It says older platforms can no longer keep up with the app's features.
• Changes will affect Windows, Android and iOS by the end of the year
• By Jan, WhatsApp will also no longer be available for BlackBerry, Nokia S40 and Nokia Symbian S60 

If you are using an old smartphone to send WhatsApp messages, you may need to add an upgrade to your Christmas wish list. 

WhatsApp has announced it will no longer support a range of older operating platforms by the end of the year.

The messaging app said it will be phasing out support for older Windows, Android and Apple models by January, and Blackberry and Nokia by mid-2017.

The older smartphone platforms can no longer keep up with the latest features being rolled out for the app, claims blog post by the Facebook-owned app. WhatsApp made the announcement as it celebrated its seventh anniversary, after first launching the popular messaging platform in 2009. The app, which is now used by more than one billion people worldwide, was launched in the early days of Apple's App Store, when seven out of ten had operating systems offered by Blackberry and Nokia.

However, today's smartphone market is dominated by Google, Apple and Microsoft, with almost all newer models running on these platforms. The firm wrote: 'As we look ahead to our next seven years, we want to focus our efforts on the mobile platforms the vast majority of people use.' The full list of platforms being left behind at the end of the year includes: Android 2.1 and Android 2.2; Windows Phone 7 and iPhone 3GS/iOS 6. And by June 2017, WhatApp will no longer be available for BlackBerry, including BlackBerry 10; Nokia S40; and Nokia Symbian S60.

WHICH PHONES WILL LOSE OUT?

WhatsApp has announced that it will no longer support a range of older operating platforms by the end of the year.

By the end of this year Whatsapp will no longer work on:

• - Android 2.1 and 2.2
• - Windows Phone 7
• - iPhone 3GS/iOS 6

In June 2017, WhatsApp will no longer be supported for:

• - BlackBerry
• - Nokia S40
• 
  
• - Nokia Symbian S60