WhatsApp messenger app will stop working on millions of iPhones around the world from May 5, 2025.

As reported by the MacRumors portal, iPhone models with iOS 15.1 and higher management will be required for the full operation of this application. Moreover, even the base version of iOS 15 will not be supported. Thus, WhatsApp will be disabled for iPhone 5s, iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, for which the last version was the iOS 12.5.7 operating system.

Existing accounts can continue to be used on unsupported devices, but they will not be able to be updated with new features and security measures—increasing the possibility of hacking.

Additionally, after May 5, 2025, unsupported iPhones will not be able to sign up for WhatsApp. If the settings are rejected, the app is removed, or the number is supported on another device, users will lose access to their accounts on old gadgets.

Currently, WhatsApp works on smartphones with Android 5.0 management, which were released in 2014 and later. Meanwhile, WhatsApp on iPhones will require iOS 15, released in 2021.

As the WABetaInfo portal informed, the abandonment of old operating systems is linked to the fact that the WhatsApp service is constantly developing. Various features that developers introduce require more capabilities from devices. In addition, using older operating systems can threaten security.

Thus, after May 5, 2025, a huge number of smartphones will lose support. During the entire history of iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, which were introduced in 2014, they were bought 220 million times, while iPhone 5S, which was released a year earlier, was sold more than 160 million times. These three models are among the top 10 best-selling phones and smartphones. And considering this, despite their age, the devices are still suitable for performing non-demanding tasks, there may still be millions of these smartphones in the hands of users who will be left without WhatsApp—the most popular messenger app in the world.