WhatsApp will raise the bar of minimum requirements and, for a small group of users, the app will simply stop opening. Starting from 8 September 2026 the service will no longer be compatible with Android phones with a version prior to 6.0as reported by WABetaInfo, which reconstructed the content of the warning that appeared in the app. We are certainly not talking about an absolute novelty, given that Meta reviews the list of supported operating systems every year, cutting the older ones and those with fewer active users. This time, however, the leap is larger than usual: the minimum requirement goes from Android 5.0 (Lollipop) to version 6.0 (Marshmallow)an entire generation of operating system that suddenly excludes those who are stuck with a device from over a decade ago.
The excluded
The ones who will lose access will be the ones smartphone with Android 5.0 or 5.1versions very widespread especially in India, Brazil, Pakistan and in some areas of South-East Asia and Africa, where dated phones continue to circulate for a long time. The cut is about both WhatsApp Messenger and WhatsApp Businesssince they share the same core code. Affected users have already started receiving a notification directly in the app, with a message warning them: WhatsApp will stop working on that device by the end of the year. For iPhoneshowever, no change: the requirement remains set at iOS 15.1also valid for iPads with iPadOS.
How to check your phone
Checking whether your smartphone is among those at risk requires a few steps: open the Settings menu, scroll to the item About your phone and check the installed operating system version. If your device can update to Android 6.0 or later, everything will continue to work normally; otherwise, the only option is to change your phone. Before the cut starts, it’s worth it secure conversations. WhatsApp itself recommends make a backup to Google Drive from the app settingsor to save a copy locally on the device’s memory: in both cases, when switching to a new smartphone, the chat history can be restored without loss.
