What you need to know
- WhatsApp has quietly ended support for outdated versions of Android.
- The popular messaging service now supports devices running Android 4.0.3 or higher.
- Users running Android 2.3.7 and older versions will be able to continue using WhatsApp only till February 1, 2020.
WhatsApp has confirmed that it will soon stop supporting devices running outdated Android versions. On its support page, the company notes that it provides support for and recommends Android devices running 4.0.3 Ice Cream Sandwich or higher.
Those of you with a device that runs Android 2.3.7 and older will no longer be able to create a new account or reverify an existing account. However, those of you already using WhatsApp will be able to continue to do so until February 1, 2020. WhatsApp also notes that some features "might stop functioning at any time" for Android versions that are not supported.
If your device runs a non-supported Android version, it is a good idea to manually back up all your chats to Google Drive. To back up your chats manually, open WhatsApp and tap on More options. Next, navigate to Settings > Chats > Chat backup > Back Up.
You can also export a copy of your individual or group chats using the app's Export chat feature. To access the feature, you will have to open the individual or group chat you want to export and then tap on More options > More > Export Chat. The chat that you exported will then be emailed to you as a .txt document. You can also choose to include media files as attachments while exporting your chats.
