WhatsApp today confirmed it will drop support for devices running iOS 8 early next year.
You’ll need to update to iOS 9 or later to continue using the app. WhatsApp warns that some features could stop working at any time after support ends in February.
Apple fans are usually pretty good at updating to the latest versions of its software. Just 7% of devices are running iOS 11 or earlier, according to the company’s latest distribution figures. More than 55% are already on iOS 13.
It’s no surprise WhatsApp is dropping support for iOS 8, then. Very few people are still using this version of the operating system, so it makes no sense to continue supporting it.
And it’s not the only operating system getting the boot.
WhatsApp will drop iOS 8 in February
Android versions 2.3.7 and older will also stop receiving WhatsApp support on February 1, 2020. All versions of Windows Phone will be dropped on December 31, 2019.
If you’re still using iOS 8 or one of the above operating systems, “you can no longer create new accounts, nor reverify existing accounts,” WhatsApp explains. Furthermore, there’s no option to transfer your chat history.
You can export your chat history as an email attachment (so long as you don’t live in Germany). You can also continue using WhatsApp to chat on unsupported platforms — but with a catch.
“Because we no longer actively develop for these operating systems, some features might stop functioning at any time,” WhatsApp adds.
WhatsApp had previously confirmed it would drop support for iOS 7 on February 1, 2020. But it seemed iOS 8 would be safe for another year. That’s clearly no longer the case for whatever reason.
