WhatsApp has become the instant messaging platform par excellence. Today we cannot imagine what the world would be like without this app, since practically all of us use it daily to communicate with others, both on a personal level and at work. But can you imagine that, from one day to the next, WhatsApp stops working on your mobile? Well, this is going to happen to millions of users on February 29.
On March 1, WhatsApp is going to revolutionize the way we communicate with others. And, by order of the European Union, it will have to allow sending and receiving messages to other messaging platforms. For example, from WhatsApp we can talk with iMessage and Telegram, without having to leave the application. Of course, a vital change that will change the way we talk to others.
But this change brings bad news for millions of users. And, as a result of this change being implemented in the application, millions of users will be left without the possibility of continuing to use this application, since the update will be free.
Phones incompatible with WhatsApp
The truth is that WhatsApp is not a particularly demanding application. As we can read on their website, the only requirements to be able to use the app is that our mobile uses an Android version equal to or higher than 5.0, or iOS 12.0 or higher in the case of iPhones, and that it is capable of sending and receiving SMS for validation. Nothing else.
If you have a relatively modern mobile phone, you won’t have a problem. You will simply have to enter the Google Play Store to download the new version, install it and continue using the program without problem. However, any old phone that does not meet the requirements we have mentioned will no longer be able to run the new version of the app, which will be mandatory from February 29, 2024.
Among others, we can find large terminals that, despite the years, continue to work perfectly, such as the Samsung Galaxy Core, Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini, Samsung Galaxy Ace and other Samsung Galaxy models, several LG Optimus models, different Huawei Ascend and the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus. Of course, any model older than any of these will also not be able to continue using the messaging application.
Simple solution: checkout or change ROM
If you have one of the affected mobile phones, which are left without support, the options you have are very few. If you have a certain level of knowledge, and you don’t want to spend the money on a new mobile, you can change the ROM for one based on a version after 5.0. CyanogenMod, or LineageOS, are the two main projects where you will find custom roms for these devices. If you’re lucky, you’ll get away.
Otherwise, if you don’t know how to do it, or there is no rom for your mobile, you will only have to buy a new mobile. Any current device, even the cheapest one that we can find in the store (for less than even 90 euros) will have a more or less modern version of Android, and you will be able to continue using WhatsApp after the change.
The only thing you have to do, when you have the new mobile phone, is to use WhatsApp while maintaining the number to synchronize your messages and contacts and be able to continue using this messaging client.
