WhatsApp officially ended support for Android 5.0 and Android 5.1 devices on September 8, 2026. The messaging platform now requires Android 6.0 or newer. Thus, leaving phones that cannot upgrade beyond Lollipop without official WhatsApp support.
The change affects devices based on their operating system, not on their brand or model. WhatsApp’s official Help Center wrote in a blog, “Android 6.0 and newer versions remain supported, while Android 5.0 and 5.1 are no longer eligible. The affected software versions are more than a decade old.”
It further explained that any smartphones that launched with Android 5 were never upgraded to Android 6 or later. For those devices, the WhatsApp cutoff means you need to shift to a newer phone to continue using the service.
Android users can check their software version through the phone’s settings. Go to Settings > About Phone > Android Version. The exact wording and location will differ according to manufacturers.
If a software update can move the phone to Android 6.0 or newer, users should install it before reopening WhatsApp. However, many devices running Android 5 are too old to receive a newer Android version.
In that situation, switching to a newer smartphone is the practical option. Users should back up their WhatsApp chats before switching devices. WhatsApp provides a chat backup option under Settings > Chats > Chat Backup, allowing users to preserve their conversation history and media for transfer.
If the device runs Android 6.0 or newer, no action is required because it remains within WhatsApp’s supported range. Users running Android 5.0 or 5.1 should check whether a system update is available.
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