Users of WhatsApp could find themselves unable to use the app as the technology stops running on older mobile phones.
The app will no longer work on older phones from midnight, as the company “looks ahead” to the future.
A statement from WhatsApp read: “While these mobile devices have been an important part of our story, they don’t offer the kind of capabilities we need to expand our app’s features in the future.”
The company said its new security features will be unable to run on out-dated models.
The mobile phones affected by the withdrawal, from January 1, 2017, include:
BlackBerry OS and BlackBerry 10
Nokia S40
Nokia Symbian S60
Android 2.1 and Android 2.2
Windows Phone 7
iPhone 3GS/iOS 6
“This was a tough decision for us to make, but the right one in order to give people better ways to keep in touch with friends, family, and loved ones using WhatsApp.
“If you use one of these affected mobile devices, we recommend upgrading to a newer Android, iPhone, or Windows Phone before the end of 2016 to continue using WhatsApp.”
