WhatsApp Stops Working on These Android Phones

After a backing change that took effect on September 8, 2026, whatsApp has officially halted working on phones running Android 5.0 and Android 5.1.

Key points

• The new minimum requirement for both WhatsApp Messenger and WhatsApp Business is now Android 6.0 Marshmallow or newer.
• The change mainly affects older smartphones that were never updated beyond Android 5.0 Lollipop or Android 5.1 Lollipop.
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• Ending backing for Android 5.0 and 5.1 allows WhatsApp to develop newer features without maintaining compatibility with systems issued plenty of years ago.
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For context, the new minimum requirement for both WhatsApp Messenger and WhatsApp Business is now Android 6.0 Marshmallow or newer. Devices that cannot be upgraded beyond Android 5 will no longer be able to run the app. WhatsApp Will Let You Call Users With No WhatsApp Accounts. Which Android Phones Are Affected?

Notably, the change mainly affects older smartphones that were never updated beyond Android 5.0 Lollipop or Android 5.1 Lollipop.

WhatsApp confirmed the move in April and began warning affected users through in-app notifications, giving them a number of months to update their operating system or move to a newer phone.

Users with devices already running Android 6.0 or afterwards do not need to produce any changes.

Older Android phones are still applied in a number of markets, including India, Brazil, Pakistan, Southeast Asia, and Africa, meaning some users may now have to replace their devices if no newer Android update is available. What Users Can Do.

Affected users should first check their phone's settings to see whether an upgrade to Android 6.0 or newer is available.

If the manufacturer no longer provides software updates for the device, users will need to switch to a newer Android phone to continue using WhatsApp. WhatsApp recommends backing up chats before moving to another device. WhatsApp Will Let You Call Users With No WhatsApp Accounts. Can You Restore Your Chats?

Users may still be able to recover their conversation history even if WhatsApp no longer opens on their old phone.

In practice, a recent backup may be stored either on Google Drive or the phone's internal storage.

After installing WhatsApp on a backed device, users can sign in using the same phone number and restore an available backup. Why WhatsApp Concluded Backing.

WhatsApp periodically drops backing for older operating systems as new features cannot always be created compatible with outdated software and hardware.

For context, the change affects both the standard and Business versions of WhatsApp since the two apps share the same underlying platform requirements. Stay Connected with ProPakistani.

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Taken together, the developments around whatsApp Stops Working on These Android Phones point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.