WhatsApp Stops Working on These Android Phones

WhatsApp has ceased functioning on Android 5.0 and 5.1 devices since September 8, 2026. These older operating systems have been replaced by a minimum requirement of Android 6.0 Marshmallow or later. Devices unable to be updated beyond Android 5 will no longer be able to run the app on WhatsApp. The affected devices are primarily older smartphones that remained on Android 5.0 Lollipop or 5.1 Lollipop.

WhatsApp informed users about this in April, providing several months to update their OS or switch to a new phone. Users with devices already on Android 6.0 or higher do not need to take any action. Older Android phones are still prevalent in certain regions, including India, Brazil, Pakistan, Southeast Asia, and Africa, leading some users to consider replacing their devices if no newer Android update is accessible.

Affected users should inspect their phone's settings to verify if an update to Android 6.0 or higher is available. If their manufacturer does not provide software updates, they will need to purchase a newer Android phone to continue using WhatsApp. WhatsApp advises backing up chats before switching to another device. It's worth noting that users might still recover their conversation history even if WhatsApp stops working on their old phone, provided they have a recent backup either on Google Drive or the phone's internal storage.

After installing WhatsApp on a supported device, users can sign in using the same phone number and restore their available backup. WhatsApp ends support for older operating systems because new features may not be compatible with outdated software and hardware. This decision enables WhatsApp to develop new features without maintaining compatibility with systems released many years ago.

Both the standard and Business versions of WhatsApp are affected since they share the same core platform requirements.