The WhatsApp users who have an iPhone 4 or earlier device, as well as an old version of Android, will not be able to use WhatsApp from January 1, 2021.
The platform reported that it will discontinue support for the iOS 9 operating system launched in 2015 and Android version 4.0.3, dating back to 2011.
As for the iPhone 4, according to the Daily Mail, the last software update it could receive was iOS 9. The last Apple released was iOS 14 in 2020.
It should be noted that later models such as the 4S, 5, 5S, 5C, 6 and 6S can be updated to keep using WhatsApp.
Daily Mail points out that the tactic of stopping support for old equipment is common and looks for the means to improve the product for the majority of users who have more modern phones.
This way, phones that cannot be updated to newer software will no longer run WhatsApp properly with the arrival of the new year.
The UK media is encouraging users to check their phone settings to see if it has iOS 9 or Android 4.0.3.
If so, they should back up their content or switch devices so as not to lose access to their WhatsApp content.
WhatsApp, owned by Facebook, is one of the most used applications in the world, with 2 billion users.