WhatsApp could drop support for some Apple users, making the app unusable on some older iPhones.
The messaging platform could require all users' phones to be running at least the iOS 12 operating system by October 24, MacRumors reported.
In that case, WhatsApp would stop working for people using iOS 10 and 11 on their mobiles - mainly iPhone 5 and iPhone 5c users.
The app provides official support for iOS 12 or newer, so 'presumably iPhone models like the iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, and iPhone 6s will remain fully supported for the foreseeable future', said the website.
If true, the switch to iOS 12 would make WhatsApp unusable on iPhone 5 and 5c, which cannot be updated past iOS 10.
A total of 43 Apple and Android phones were dropped from WhatsApp in November 2021.
When WhatsApp stops supporting an operating system, it will notify users directly in the app ahead of time and remind them a few times to upgrade.
MacRumors says people upgrading their mobiles should back up chat histories to iCloud before restoring them on the new device.
Wondering why WhatsApp would choose to drop some software and devices?
It says: "To choose what to stop supporting, every year we, like other technology companies, look at which devices and software are the oldest and have the fewest number of people still using them.
"These devices also might not have the latest security updates, or might lack the functionality required to run WhatsApp."
The iPhone 5 was released in September 2012 and its more affordable 5c model debuted in September 2013.
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