Will WhatsApp stop working on your older phone this fall — and how do you save your chats before it does?

WhatsApp raised its Android floor to Android 6.0, with a server-side login block reported from October 5, 2026. The iPhone minimum is iOS 15.1 today and rises to iOS 15.5 on November 30, 2026. Check your version, try Software Update, then back up chats to Google Drive or iCloud before you lose access.

A parent or grandparent opens WhatsApp and gets a blocked screen saying the phone is no longer supported, with years of family photos inside. Short answer: Yes, this can happen this fall, and it can happen without any warning update. WhatsApp has raised its Android floor to Android 6.0, dropping Android 5.0 and 5.1, and a server-side login block reported from October 5, 2026 means no app update is needed for the block to take effect — the phone is simply refused when it signs in.

On iPhone, the minimum is currently iOS 15.1, and it rises to iOS 15.5 on November 30, 2026. Phones named as affected include the iPhone 5s, 6 and 6 Plus, Samsung Galaxy S4, Note 3 and S3, Sony Xperia Z1, LG G2, and the first-generation Moto G and Moto E from 2014. The hopeful part: an older phone that can still update to Android 6.0 or later, or iOS 15.5 or later, keeps working just fine.1.

Check the version on Android. Open Settings, then About phone or Software information, and look for the Android version. You need 6.0 or higher.2.

Check the version on iPhone. Open Settings, then General, then About. You need iOS 15.1 today, and 15.5 from November 30.3.

Try Software Update before anything else. On both systems it sits under Settings — General on iPhone, and in About phone or System on Android. If the update is offered, install it and you are done.4.

Back up before you lose access. In WhatsApp, open Settings, then Chats, then Chat backup — to Google Drive on Android or iCloud on iPhone — and run it while the phone still signs in.5. Restore on the new phone.

Sign in to WhatsApp on a supported phone with the same number, and accept the restore prompt so your chats and photos come across.Pro tip: Do not wait for the blocked screen to start step 4. A backup made after sign-in stops working may be no backup at all.Ad’s take: Do the backup today even if you think you are fine — it is free, it takes two minutes, and those family chats cannot be replaced once they are gone.