No WhatsApp For Your Smartphone Next Year? Here Are Your Options
Find out what your options are if your device is on the WhatsApp blacklist.
In February, WhatsApp broke a lot of hearts by announcing that it would end support for older mobile platforms come the end of 2016. The worst part? There was no call, no text and of course no WhatsApp to convey the news to its users. Instead, the company communicated its plan through a blog post! The reason it cited for dumping the older operating systems was that they didn't “offer the kind of capabilities we need to expand our app's features in the future.”
On a more serious (and happier) note, the company has updated the list of phones it will extend support for till June 30, 2017. So, if you own a phone running on BlackBerry OS, BlackBerry 10, Nokia S40 and Nokia Symbian S60, then this extension must come as some respite.
That was the good news. Now for the bad news. If you’re still running something as ancient as Android 2.2 or an older version or Windows Phone 7 or iOS 6 on your iPhone 3GS, then it’s time you prepare yourself to pay your last respects to WhatsApp by the end of 2016.
It’s understandable why the company decided to pull the plug on these older smartphones, considering the host of features WhatsApp has already introduced or will introduce in the near future. Some key features like voice calling, video calling and end-to-end encryption will perhaps be too much for handle for some of these phones which were released before 2010. After all, technology is rapidly evolving, and an Android from 2009 might not be your best bet in 2017.
WhatsApp has also been working on a Snapchat Stories-like feature for a while now, and the company could be forgiven for politely persuading you to junk your old phones if you want to enjoy these functions.
This was a tough decision for us to make, but the right one in order to give people better ways to keep in touch with friends, family, and loved ones using WhatsApp. If you use one of these affected mobile devices, we recommend upgrading to a newer Android, iPhone, or Windows Phone before the end of 2016 to continue using WhatsApp.Whatsapp Blog
That begs the question – what are your options if your device will no longer be supported by WhatsApp? Well, there are already a host of apps already popular amongst Indian users.
Tencent owned WeChat is used by around 700 million people in China.
For the Chinese, it’s a one stop shop for all their digital needs and serves the purpose of Facebook, Uber, Paytm, Tinder and several other apps. In India, WeChat hasn’t quite taken off in the same way as WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger.
The company’s website claims that it still runs on the following platforms – iOS, Android, Windows Phone, Nokia S40, Symbian, BlackBerry OS 5.0, BlackBerry OS 6.0 and above, Blackberry 10, Windows, MacOS and on web browsers. While the website is vague about which iPhones and Android phones are compatible, it does make it abundantly clear that Nokia S40, Symbian, BlackBerry OS 5.0 and above and Blackberry 10 users need not fret yet.
Hike Messenger
This might just be our very own “Made in India” version of WeChat. And while the company claims to have more than 100 million active users, it still has a long way to go before it becomes as ubiquitous as WhatsApp. The app focuses on localised content and packs in some interesting features like group audio calling, a Snapchat stories-like feature and Hike Direct.
In October, the company issued a list of devices it supports – Android (2.2+), iPhone, iPod Touch, Windows Phone, Nokia Asha Full Touch, Nokia S40 Non Touch and Touch & Type devices, S60 5th Edition, Anna and Belle devices, Blackberry devices (Including BB10), Nokia Android (Nokia X Dual SIM).
Facebook Messenger
FB Messenger is an interesting proposition, considering it could potentially reach out to all of Facebook’s 1 billion users. The company says even Messenger has reached the milestone of 1 billion users. That makes it Facebook’s second messaging app to hit the milestone this year, after WhatsApp.
But, if you want the latest version of Messenger on your iPhone, then you must have iOS 8.0 and above. While the website doesn’t specify which Android version it supports, it says Windows 10, Windows 10 Mobile, Windows Phone 8.1, Windows Phone 8 and above are compatible with the app.