Tech News

WhatsApp to Stop Working On Older Android Smartphones in 2025

Highlights

WhatsApp will no longer work on older Android smartphones starting January 1, 2025.
This will impact phones running Android KitKat.
It will impact about 20 devices from brands like Samsung, Motorola, HTC, LG and Sony.
Affected Devices – Models such as Samsung Galaxy S3, Motorola Moto G (1st Gen), HTC One X, LG Nexus 4 and Sony Xperia Z will lose support.
Users with these older devices should back up their WhatsApp chats and transfer them to newer phones.

WhatsApp will stop working on 20 Android older models from brands like Samsung, Motorola, HTC, LG and Sony. (Photo by Alexander Shatov on Unsplash)

Earlier this year, it was announced that WhatsApp would soon stop working on older iPhone models. We are getting reports that soon older Android phones will also face similar issues.

According to a recent report by the Spanish news platform Infobae, WhatsApp will no longer work on several older Android smartphones starting from 1st January 2025.

This decision impacts about 20 devices that have been in use for over a decade from popular brands like Samsung, Motorola, HTC, LG and Sony.

The Infobae report reveals that the move by WhatsApp’s parent company Meta targets devices running Android KitKat. The KitKat Android update was first introduced in 2013 and it currently runs on many devices.

While these older phones can still handle basic tasks, they lack the hardware and software capabilities needed to support WhatsApp’s advanced AI features and upgraded security protocols.

Here’s everything you need to know about the update.

Impacted Devices

The devices that will be impacted by this change are the ones popular in the early 2010s but now at least 10 years old. Users will no longer be able to send or receive messages on WhatsApp after the specified date.

Here’s the list of Android models that will lose WhatsApp support:

Samsung: Galaxy S3, Galaxy Note 2, Galaxy Ace 3, Galaxy S4 Mini
Motorola: Moto G (1st Gen), Razr HD, Moto E (2014)
HTC: One X, One X+, Desire 500, Desire 601
LG: Optimus G, Nexus 4, G2 Mini, L90
Sony: Xperia Z, Xperia SP, Xperia T, Xperia V

What Users Should Do?

If you’re still using one of these devices, you’ll need to take steps to avoid losing access to WhatsApp. The first priority is to back up your chats so you can transfer them to a newer phone.

Here’s how to back up your WhatsApp chats:

Open WhatsApp and go to Settings.
In Settings, Select Chats > Chat Backup.
Tap Perform Backup to save your conversations.

Once you’ve created a backup, you can restore it on a newer device and continue using WhatsApp with all the latest features and improved security.

FAQs

Q1. When will WhatsApp stop working on older Android smartphones?

Answer. WhatsApp will no longer work on several older Android smartphones starting January 1, 2025.

Q2. Which Android devices will be impacted by WhatsApp’s decision?

Answer. The impacted devices include models such as Samsung Galaxy S3, Galaxy Note 2, Galaxy Ace 3, Galaxy S4 Mini; Motorola Moto G (1st Gen), Razr HD, Moto E (2014); HTC One X, One X+, Desire 500, Desire 601; LG Optimus G, Nexus 4, G2 Mini, L90; and Sony Xperia Z, Xperia SP, Xperia T, Xperia V.

Q3. Why is WhatsApp stopping support for these older Android devices?

Answer. The move targets devices running Android KitKat, which lack the hardware and software capabilities needed to support WhatsApp’s advanced AI features and upgraded security protocols.

Q4. What should users of the affected devices do to continue using WhatsApp?

Answer. Users should back up their WhatsApp chats by going to Settings > Chats > Chat Backup and then tap Perform Backup. They can then restore the backup on a newer device to continue using WhatsApp.