By MATTHEW PHELAN SENIOR SCIENCE REPORTER FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
WhatsApp is set to cut service for three iPhones next year. A website investigating app beta versions found a hidden alert that the Meta-owned messaging service is set to revamp its service by May 5, 2025, with upgrades not available for iPhone 5s, iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.
The smartphones lack support for Apple's iOS 15.1, which is set to be a prerequisite for the messaging software, and only have the ability for iOS 12.5.7.
"WhatsApp is providing a five-month notice period, giving them [older iPhone users] ample time to update their devices if possible or consider alternatives if their hardware does not support newer iOS versions," according to the tech expert who discovered the service advisory.
Industry watchers noted that the announcement won't impact WhatsApp users who enjoy the service on Android devices.
Some speculated that the Meta-owned app was monitoring its internal data on the service's total number of older iPhone users before deciding it was an appropriate time to cut this likely modest number of customers.
For those looking to upgrade their phones to keep up with WhatsApp, experts recommended backing up their chats and multimedia history to Apple's iCloud, for future integration with a newer device via WhatsApp's Chat Transfer feature.
"WhatsApp's alert," Salem reported, "notifies users running iOS versions earlier than 15.1 that they will no longer be able to use the app in the future."
Fortunately, all newer iPhone models will still be compatible with the service, so long as they are running the latest versions of iOS. Updating the operating system on an Apple device is as easy as going to iPhone Settings, clicking on 'General' and then selecting 'Software Update.'
"This approach has allowed WhatsApp to reach a broad audience," Salem noted but it may have come at the expense of keeping up with "the latest trends in technology" recently.
Apple experts have noted that personal privacy and security-minded iPhone users are likely to want to keep their iOS fully updated anyway, to make sure all vulnerabilities are patched and protected from cybercriminals.
"Locking a chat takes that thread out of your inbox and puts it behind its own folder that can only be accessed with your device's password or biometric like a fingerprint," Meta said in its Chat Lock announcement.