Business and Technology

WhatsApp block: Chat app will ban these phones in a matter of weeks

WHATSAPP has been warning users for some time that they will face a block in 2019… and the all-important date when things come to an end is almost upon us. Here are the phone models that will be ditched by the hugely-successful chat app in a few weeks.
Some WhatsApp fans could face a major issue later this month when a new block comes into force. The chat app has been warning users with older phones for a little while that they will need to upgrade their handset to continue using the service. And now that date is just a few weeks away.

WhatsApp has confirmed on its support page that anyone with a Windows Phone will lose access from December 31, 2019. And that’s not all. The deadline for ageing Windows smartphone will be followed by blocks for iPhones running anything older than iOS 7 and Android devices with versions 2.3.7 installed. This iPhone and Android block will come into force from February 1, 2020.

If you love WhatsApp and have any of the phones mentioned – or haven’t updated your operating system in a few years, you’ll need to head to a shop to get an upgrade to something a little more recent.

WhatsApp New Features

HERE are ALL THE DATES WHEN WHATSAPP STOPPED WORKING ON SOME PHONES

• Nokia Symbian S60 after June 30, 2017
• BlackBerry OS and BlackBerry 10 after December 31, 2017
• Nokia S40 after December 31, 2018
• All Windows Phone operating systems after December 31, 2019
• Android versions 2.3.7 and older after February 1, 2020
• iPhone iOS 7 and older after February 1, 2020

Justifying the decision to stop supporting older hardware, WhatsApp said in a blog post: “As we look ahead to our next seven years, we want to focus our efforts on the mobile platforms the vast majority of people use.

“While these mobile devices have been an important part of our story, they don’t offer the kind of capabilities we need to expand our app’s features in the future. 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 to continue using WhatsApp.” This news comes as WhatsApp appears to be getting ever closer to launching a Dark Mode. Rumours are rife that the Facebook-owned firm will release this update in the coming months with more and more screenshots of how this upgrade will look appearing online.

The latest leak, which comes via the team at WABetainfo, even shows how the update could help to improve battery life. If true, it appears that Dark Mode could get a new option which will allow users to choose the theme based on their battery-saving settings.

This should mean that if things are running low, and you switch to a low power mode, WhatsApp will automatically turn dark to help conserve what is left in the tank. There’s no official word on when, or if, Dark Mode will arrive but express.co.ukwill bring you all the news as soon as anything is announced.

In other news – Somizi’s ex-wife Palesa Madisakwane speaks out

When the chips are down friends are few…I am a single mother and so I had no choice but to move on from the ordeal. Actress Palesa Madisakwane speaks on her journey of healing after a horror car accident that almost claimed her life, after a drunk driver rammed into her car earlier this year, she is happy to be back, acting again.

Palesa Madisakwane

Palesa is back on TV in Dream: The Lebo Mathosa Story, in which she plays Mamfundisi, Lebo’s stepmom. It’s a small role, but I am happy,” she told DRUM magazine. The former Generations star is a brave warrior, her ambitious appetite to shift boundaries is still strong, and she can’t wait to bite her teeth deeper into more roles, but she is concerned about her future because her injuries are more than skin-deep. Read more

Source: express