WhatsApp Permanently Blocked from September: These Are the Affected Phones

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - A number of WhatsApp users will no longer be able to use the application starting 8 September 2026. This is because WhatsApp will discontinue support for a number of mobile phones.

This policy applies only to Android phones running Android 5.0 and 5.1. This means users with phones supporting Android 6.0 or newer can continue using the WhatsApp application after September.

Users who are affected will soon receive notifications from WhatsApp regarding this policy.

For those using older Android devices, chats can be backed up before 8 September 2026. This can be done using Google Drive or an automatic local backup created manually in internal storage.

In this way, you will not lose important conversations in WhatsApp. Files can be transferred manually when needed in the future.

However, the latest policy does not appear to affect many users. WABetaInfo notes that analytics data shows a small number of users still using those outdated phones.

In addition, users of Android 5.0 or Android 5.1 are advised to update their devices to continue using WhatsApp. Users can also switch to more compatible devices that support the latest versions.

Users of older iPhones or iPads can breathe a sigh of relief. Because this policy does not affect Apple devices.

WABetaInfo reports reveal that neither iOS nor iPadOS are affected by this change. WhatsApp still supports devices running iOS 15.1 and iPadOS 15.1 or newer.