MARCH 9, 2021
Facebook-owned messaging platform WhatsApp is dropping support for iPhones running on iOS 9, according to a recent report from WhatsApp tracker WABetaInfo.
Version 2.21.50 of WhatsApp beta, according to the report, does not support devices running on iOS 9 or previous.
WhatsApp has not updated the change on its FAQ page yet, but it is expected to be updated when this version of the app rolls out for the public.
This means that the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4s will lose support for the popular messaging app, making the iPhone 5 as the oldest iPhone that can now run WhatsApp.
The iPhone 5 was updated till iOS 10.3. For Android, WhatsApp is currently supported on Android smartphones running on Android 4.0.3 or newer. Apart from iOS and Android, WhatsApp also runs on KaiOS, which is used on several feature phones including Jio Phone and Jio Phone 2.
In a separate development, WhatsApp is reportedly planning to release an improved version of its Archived Chats, WABetaInfo reported.
This feature is still under development, but sources told WABetaInfo that WhatsApp is preparing some UI improvements for the Archived Chats cell, that will be visible only if a user has any chats in their archive.
All notifications from Archived Chats will also be muted, which means that users won’t get to know when they receive messages on archived chats. The sources told WABetaInfo that this feature will be optional.
WhatsApp, which is fighting a mass boycott against its updated privacy policy, recently reminded users about the updated policy coming into effect starting May 15.
Courtesy/Source: News18
