WhatsApp pulls plug on older smartphones

WhatsApp will no longer work on a number of smartphones in the new year as support ends on some older handsets.

The app’s owner, Facebook, announced earlier this year that the service will be pulled from Windows Phone as it halts development on the discontinued operating system.

WhatsApp already stopped supporting earlier Windows Phones at the beginning of 2018, as well as BlackBerry OS and BlackBerry 10.

The latest cut-off will be followed by dated versions of Android and iOS in a couple of months.

Android versions 2.3.7 and older, as well as iOS 8 and older have until 1 February 2020 to continue using WhatsApp before they also face the chop.

Microsoft gave up on its smartphone efforts several years ago, but surprised the industry with plans to make a return in 2020.

In October, the firm revealed early details about a new foldable device known as the Surface Duo — though it’s expected to run on Android instead of a Microsoft-developed operating system.