WhatsApp to cut off support for iOS 10 and 11 — here are the iPhones affected

Image of someone holding an iPhone with a slight blurred Whatsapp app open
(Image credit: Westend61/Getty)

If your iPhone is still on iOS 10 or iOS 11, Whatsapp could stop working for you as of October 24. WABetaInfo has just reported that the company is planning to end support for iOS 10, iOS 11 — notably, iPhone 5 and iPhone 5C.

Users on iOS 10 or 11 will be forced to update their iPhones to keep accessing WhatsApp. iPhone 5 and 5C users might have to consider upgrading their handsets to keep the popular messaging app active. You can check out our guide for the best cheap phones and best iPhones if you need a replacement. 

Image of Whatsapp ending support for iOS 10 and 11 users

(Image credit: WABetaInfo)

A support article from Whatsapp mentions iOS 12 as the baseline for iPhone users. If you’re still using iPhone 5S, iPhone 6 or iPhone 6S WhatsApp will still work for you, for now. 

WhatsApp dropping support for iPhone 5 and 5C that are decade old phones is no surprise. WhatsApp stopped support for iOS 9 in March last year and continues to follow the trend of dropping support for older softwares again this year.

There may not be many people using iPhone 5 or 5C at this point, but there are millions of Whatsapp users that use the app to chat with family, friends or even use it for work or business purposes. This move will definitely affect the iPhone 5 or 5C bunch, however many users there might be. 

To get the latest iOS version on your iPhone — go to Settings then General, then tap Software Update and then you can “Download and Install.”

With WWDC 2022 around the corner where we might get to see iOS 16 — we will have to see if iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, and the original iPhone SE will be iOS 16 compatible. 

You can count on us to keep you updated if Whatsapp decides to cut off support for other software versions as well or for more updates.

WhatsApp recently announced they will let people silently leave group chats. Also, here are the best Whatsapp alternatives, and here's how to use Whatsapp Web and Whatsapp Desktop.

Sanjana Prakash
News Editor

Sanjana loves all things tech. From the latest phones, to quirky gadgets and the best deals, she's in sync with it all. Based in Atlanta, she is the news editor at Tom's Guide. Previously, she produced India's top technology show for NDTV and has been a tech news reporter on TV. Outside work, you can find her on a tennis court or sipping her favorite latte in instagrammable coffee shops in the city. Her work has appeared on NDTV Gadgets 360 and CNBC.