WhatsApp sets Android 6 as the new minimum for support

WhatsApp will stop supporting Android versions older than Android 6 on September 8, 2026, setting a clear operating-system floor for people who want to keep using the app on Android phones. Devices running Android 6 or newer will remain supported.

Android 6 becomes the support floor

The cutoff takes effect on September 8, 2026, when WhatsApp will no longer support Android versions below Android 6. Phones already on Android 6 or anything newer will stay supported, provided they are on the latest supported version of the app. The change is a compatibility cutoff tied to the operating system, not a broader shutdown of WhatsApp service on Android.

For users, the practical distinction is simple: the app keeps working on Android 6 and above, while older Android versions fall outside the supported range.

Which phones are affected

The affected devices are older Android phones still running versions below Android 6. Those users will be the ones most directly exposed to the cutoff once the date arrives.

The support change is version-specific, not account-specific. A WhatsApp account itself is not the issue here; the determining factor is the Android version on the phone. If a device is on Android 6 or newer, it remains in the supported group as long as the app is kept on a compatible release.

People with newer Android builds should not see the same support problem, even though the app’s minimum system requirement is moving up.

What remains unclear

The exact models affected first are not specified beyond the Android version cutoff. Different phones can stay on older software for different reasons, but the available material does not identify a model-by-model impact list.

Also unclear is what WhatsApp will show affected users inside the app, or whether it will use a warning, prompt, or other transition message before support ends. No additional platform-specific changes are documented in the available material.