Tech: WhatsApp shutting down on these Android phones! Users now have only this option..

WhatsApp has dealt a blow to many users. The app has stopped working on several Android devices. WhatsApp had announced back in April that support for Android 5.0 Lollipop and Android 5.1 Lollipop would end on September 8, 2026. The new minimum requirement to run WhatsApp is now Android 6.0 Marshmallow.

**Impact on devices that cannot upgrade beyond Android 5.0**
WhatsApp has ceased functioning on devices that cannot be upgraded beyond Android 5.0 or 5.1. Most of these devices are quite old and never received any software updates from their manufacturers. According to a report by WABetaInfo, regions such as India, Brazil, Pakistan, Southeast Asia, and Africa are among those where older devices are still widely used.

In these regions, some users are still using devices running on Android 5. No software updates are available for them. Such users will need to switch to a new device to continue using WhatsApp; in other words, acquiring a newer phone has become necessary for them.

**Need for a new phone**
To continue using WhatsApp, users must update their operating system or switch to a new device. Users on Android 5.0 or 5.1 cannot use the app unless they upgrade their Android device to a supported version.

The minimum requirement is now Android 6.0 Marshmallow. This rule applies to both WhatsApp Messenger and WhatsApp Business. If a system update is unavailable, users must switch to a new device running Android 6.0 or a later version.

Compatibility with specific Android versions is essential to support new features in WhatsApp. According to reports, WhatsApp cannot make all features compatible with older operating systems. By ending support for Android 5.0 and 5.1, WhatsApp can finally develop new features that were previously impossible to implement on older hardware. If you want to check which Android version your device is running, you need to go to your phone's settings. After that, you can check the Android version by going to the 'About phone' section.

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