WhatsApp to End Support for iOS 10 and iOS 11, Require iPhone 5S or Later to Work

WhatsApp is set to end support for iOS 10 and iOS 11 versions of Apple's mobile operating system, requiring all users to be running at least iOS 12 after October 24, 2022.

Whatsapp Feature
That means iOS 10 and iOS 11 users – who will mainly be iPhone 5 and ‌iPhone‌ 5C owners – will no longer be able to use the encrypted chat service after the specified date.

WhatsApp already states on its Help Center that it currently provides official support 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.

Users who intend to upgrade their ‌iPhone‌ and use the app after the above date can back up their WhatsApp chats to iCloud, and restore their chat history to a newer, supported device. You can find instructions on how to do so here.

(Via WaBetaInfo.)

Popular Stories

streaming black friday 2025

Black Friday Streaming Deals Include Big Savings on Disney+, Hulu, Apple TV, and More

Monday November 24, 2025 8:03 am PST by
We've been focusing on deals on physical products over the past few weeks, but Black Friday is also a great time of year to purchase a streaming membership. Some of the biggest services have great discounts for new and select returning members this week, including Disney+, Hulu, Paramount+, Peacock, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a...
Apple Foldable Thumb

Foldable iPhone to Debut These Three Breakthrough Features

Tuesday November 25, 2025 7:09 am PST by
Apple's first foldable iPhone is expected to launch alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models in fall 2026, and it's shaping up to include three standout features that could set it apart from the competition. The book-style foldable will reportedly feature an industry-first 24-megapixel under-display camera built into the inner display, according to a recent JP Morgan equity research report. That...
General Black Friday Deals 25 Red

Apple Black Friday Deals Available Now on AirPods, iPads, Accessories, and More

Friday November 21, 2025 8:48 am PST by
We're only a few days away from Black Friday, which will take place on Friday, November 28 in 2025. As always, this will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals, including popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When...
General Apps Messages Redux

Singapore Orders Changes to iMessage by December

Tuesday November 25, 2025 6:39 am PST by
Singapore has ordered Apple to block or filter messages on iMessage that impersonate government agencies, requiring the company to implement new anti-spoofing protections by December as part of efforts to curb rising online scams, the Straits Times reports. Singapore's Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said that it had issued an Implementation Directive to Apple under the Online Criminal Harms...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Adds These New Features to Your iPhone

Thursday November 20, 2025 10:50 am PST by
iOS 26.2 is currently in beta testing. The upcoming update includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, including a new Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics for Apple Music, and more. In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 26.2 will be released to all users in December, but it did not provide a specific release date. Keep reading...
maxresdefault

The MacRumors Show: iPhone 18 Pro Looks Like a Huge Upgrade

Friday November 21, 2025 9:10 am PST by
On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we talk through all of the new features and improvements expected to come to next year's iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max models. Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel for more videos Apple's next-generation iPhones are less than ten months away and we already have a good idea about what to expect based on corroborated leaks, rumors,...
iOS 26 on Three iPhones

iOS 27 Will Reportedly Have Two Key Upgrades

Sunday November 23, 2025 8:48 am PST by
iOS 27 will reportedly have two major elements: quality improvements and new AI features. In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that iOS 27 will be similar to Mac OS X Snow Leopard, in the sense that Apple is focused on improving "quality and underlying performance" over adding new features. Gurman said there is one exception to this rule, though, as he expects...
apple news banner

Apple News Loses CNN

Monday November 24, 2025 7:56 am PST by
American multinational news company CNN has abruptly pulled its content from Apple News, Semafor reports. CNN quietly removed its stories from Apple News over the weekend and there is no longer a feed from the network to subscribe to in the app. This effectively ends its distribution agreement with Apple while the two sides negotiate new terms. Discussions are apparently ongoing and CNN's...
Apple Foldable Thumb

Crease-Free iPhone Fold on Track for 2026 Launch as Development Advances

Monday November 24, 2025 10:25 am PST by
Apple is making progress on the development of the book-style foldable iPhone expected in 2026, according to a report from Chinese site UDN. The device has reportedly entered the engineering validation stage, and Apple is gearing up for mass production. Citing supply chain sources, UDN says that Apple has solved "the crease problem" that has plagued most foldable smartphones, and the...

Top Rated Comments

Unggoy Murderer Avatar
46 months ago

I wonder what happen the these who said they will continue to use iOS 6 and not move to non Skeuomorphic designs of past iOS 7??
I'm pretty sure most of these people are just making up fake stories for internet points.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheRoadRunner Avatar
46 months ago
The 5 and 5C have been around for a very long time in tech terms (2012/2013), so in my opinion you can’t complain about this. They’ve done well to be supported for this long.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Unggoy Murderer Avatar
46 months ago

While I agree, it makes little sense to drop support.

I mean I can understand not porting new features and that would be legit, but keeping at least the text part wouldmake sense.
It's not quite that straightforward. When the app starts having different features gated to different devices, you increase its complexity quite a lot, plus encourage the dragging of bloat. It can also lead to security issues (through legacy, unsupported API use) and generally just bring the experience down for everyone.

Nearly ten years is a good run for software support.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mercedes33 Avatar
46 months ago
i use an Iphone 4s as my daily :)
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BellSystem Avatar
46 months ago
Facebook needs more horsepower than the 5C can muster for examination of your messages.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Whathappened Avatar
46 months ago

i use an Iphone 4s as my daily :)
I don’t know why you like to hurt yourself but have fun!
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)