From today, January 1, 2021, WhatsApp will no longer work on some smartphones: is it true or is it a hoax? How much should we worry?
For several days, even on authoritative Italian newspapers, the bombshell has been circulating: from January 1, 2021 WhatsApp will no longer work on these smartphones. Since WhatsApp with its 2 billion users is probably the most used app in the world after TikTok and Facebook (which has 2.7 billion, but a lot of them are fake profiles), it is clear that a headline like this catches a lot of clicks.
But how are things? Is it true that WhatsApp now stops working on many smartphones both Android (including Nokia, Samsung, Huawei, LG and many other devices of famous brands) and Apple iPhone? Or is it just a hoax? The answer is simple: it's half a hoax, and we'll explain why, numbers in hand, if you love using WhatsApp as an instant messaging service you shouldn't fear much and, at most, you should worry more about the recurring scams that run on WhatsApp. Let's start.
On which smartphones WhatsApp no longer works from 1-1-21
The news is true: from today, January 1, 2021, some Android and iOS smartphones can no longer use WhatsApp. To be precise, it's all smartphones with operating system prior Android 4.0.3 and iPhones with operating system version prior to iOS 9.
The reason for the farewell is simple and, to tell the truth, it's not even new: WhatsApp periodically removes support for older versions of Google and Apple operating systems because those systems are no longer supported by Google and Apple either, long ago.
This means that smartphones using them are no longer secure, they can be attacked easily by hackers and just as easily can be infected by malware. And if a hacker or malware takes possession of a smartphone with WhatsApp installed, almost always, they can also access the list of contacts we have on this app.
Which means they can start using WhatsApp for illicit purposes. And since WhatsApp can't protect a smartphone, only use its features, it's clear that it no longer takes responsibility for supporting such outdated and insecure smartphones. It is also right that it does so, for the good of all.
Smartphones without WhatsApp: the list
But let's get to the point: on which smartphones does WhatsApp stop working today? The models, of course, are many if we talk about Android devices and it is impossible to count them all. Among the most famous are Samsung Galaxy S2, Samsung Galaxy SI9000, LG Optimus 2X, Google Nexus S, HTC Desire, HTC Sensation, Huawei Ascend P1, Huawei Ascend P1 S.
Among the iPhones that will no longer be able to use WhatsApp, however, there is the iPhone 4 and all previous devices that however (for the same reason already mentioned) were no longer supported for some time.
How many smartphones can not use WhatsApp from today
Now let's do some quick maths to understand why WhatsApp that no longer works from today is a half hoax: how many smartphones lose support? Very few.
In the world today there are about 3.5 billion active smartphones. Of these, about 85 percent (about 2.9 billion) have the Android operating system and the remaining 15 percent (about 555 million) have iOS.
Active smartphones running Android 4.0.3 or earlier are 0.2 percent of all Android smartphones, or 5.8 million. iPhones running iOS 9 or earlier are 6% of all iPhones, or about 33 million. In total, therefore, the smartphones that from today can no longer use WhatsApp are just under 39 million out of 3.5 billion worldwide, or about 1%.
You choose from which point of view to see this story, we to start the year 2021 in a different way we propose two titles: "WhatsApp alarm: from today does not work on millions of smartphones" or "WhatsApp, no alarm: it works on 99% of smartphones".
Which point of view you choose for this 2021?