Millions of smartphone users could soon find themselves locked out of WhatsApp as the platform prepares to drop support for older Android devices. From 8 September 2026, the messaging giant will no longer work on smartphones running Android 5 and 5.1, meaning users who cannot upgrade to Android 6 or higher will need to replace their devices to stay connected. The move is expected to hit a small but significant portion of users, particularly in markets like South Africa, where budget and second-hand Android phones remain widely used.
Android 5, also known as Lollipop and first released in November 2014, still powers about 1.66% of devices, according to Statcounter GlobalStats. While that figure may seem small, it could translate to millions of affected users given WhatsApp’s global reach of around three billion devices. Users still running the older software are being urged to back up their chats and start considering an upgrade in the coming months.
WhatsApp says affected users will receive notifications within the app ahead of the cut-off date. Beyond the looming shutdown, changes are already under way inside the app. The platform is quietly phasing out its avatar feature, introduced globally in December 2022, which allowed users to create personalised 3D avatars for profile pictures and stickers. The removal is happening gradually across Android and iOS, with some users losing access without prior notice.
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