WhatsApp has decided to extend its support to 6 “out-dated” phone operating systems. The popular messaging service had previously decided to stop supporting some old but still popular devices by the end of this year, 2016, potentially leaving millions of its users stranded as they would no longer be able to access the messaging application from their old devices.
The operating systems include:
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BlackBerry OS and BlackBerry 10
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Nokia S40
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Nokia Symbian S60
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Android 2.1 and 2.2
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Windows Phone 7
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iPhone 3GS/ iOS 6
WhatsApp made the decision to stop supporting these devices earlier this year as they felt the phones could no longer offer the kind of capabilities it needed to expand its features in the future.
Now, WhatsApp has made a U-turn on ending its support by the 31st of December 2016 by adding an extra 6 months of support until 30 June 2017 giving users a chance to upgrade their devices to avoid disappointment.
So if your device has any of the listed operating systems please look to buying a new phone in the next 6 months. WhatsApp probably made the u-turn as it realised its set to lose a large portion of its users in developing and 3rd world countries, maybe it’s time WhatsApp released its own cheap smartphone to make it easy for its users to get the right devices it needs.
-Techzim