WhatsApp to block old Android versions – is your phone affected?

From November onwards, very old versions of Android released back in 2011 and 2012 will no longer be able to launch WhatsApp. — dpa

There once was a time when Google named its versions of Android after sweet treats. Android 4.0 to 4.0.4, for example, was better known as Ice Cream Sandwich.

If your phone is still stuck on this particular dessert, then you'll soon have to give up WhatsApp. That's because from Nov 1 onwards, the Facebook-owned messenger app will stop supporting older versions of Android.

From this date onwards, you'll need to have upgraded your phone or tablet to Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) in order to run the messenger on the device, WhatsApp has announced.

However, this should only affect very, very few users. Because the Android devices that will soon no longer be supported by WhatsApp are devices that came onto the market in 2011 or 2012, i.e. they are already a good 10 years old.

However, if you find out that Android 4.0.4 or older is still running on your device (you can generally find out under "Settings/My smartphone"), you should save your chat history before November to be on the safe side.

To be able to continue using WhatsApp, you'll unfortunately need to switch to a newer device. – dpa