Five iPhone models are scheduled to lose access to WhatsApp starting November 30, 2026, unless their owners install a software update before the deadline, according to the messaging platform’s revised system requirements.
WhatsApp which is owned by Meta, is raising its minimum iOS requirement from iOS 15.1 to iOS 15.5. The change will affect devices still running older versions of Apple’s mobile operating system. This will be the second of such changes in many years.
The five models on the list are the iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, the first-generation iPhone SE, the iPhone 7, and the iPhone 7 Plus.
All five models are capable of running iOS 15.8.8, the final software version available for that generation of hardware, which clears the new iOS 15.5 threshold. Users of the aforementioned models will need to update their software before the deadline to keep using the app.
Owners of the affected iPhones can check for the update by going to Settings, General, then Software Update, and installing the latest version offered for their device.
The move follows a pattern of periodic reviews by WhatsApp, which regularly phases out support for the oldest operating systems still in use.
A similar adjustment last year raised the minimum requirement to iOS 15.1, a change that pushed out support for the iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, and iPhone 6 Plus altogether.
Beyond the iPhone lineup, the November deadline is also expected to touch older iPads still running outdated software, though the current list of confirmed models centres on the five iPhones named above.
For the vast majority of iPhone users, the new requirement will make no difference, since most devices in active use already run software newer than iOS 15.5.
The change is expected to affect only a small segment of users still holding onto hardware from the mid-2010s.
Users who are unsure which iOS version their device is running can also check this by clicking Settings, General, then About, where the software version is listed alongside other device details on their iPhones.
