WhatsApp won’t support BlackBerry, other older mobile platforms by the end of 2016

By Jason Hahn February 28, 2016

fake whatsapp — Twin Design / Shuttershock

WhatsApp, the Facebook-owned messaging platform, will leave some mobile operating systems behind by the end of this year. BlackBerry, Android 2.1 (Eclair) and 2.2 (Froyo), and Windows Phone 7.1 are among the mobile platforms that will soon miss the popular messaging app.

The announcement started by noting that WhatsApp recently celebrated its seventh birthday. “But anniversary dates are also an opportunity to look back,” according to the blog post. Given that the mobile landscape has shifted from one dominated by BlackBerry and Nokia to one taken over by Android and iOS, the company declared that it’s time to refocus their efforts.

By the end of 2016, support for WhatsApp Messenger will stop for BlackBerry (including BlackBerry 10); Nokia S40; Nokia Symbian S60; Android 2.1 and 2.2; and Windows Phone 7.1.

“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,” according to the blog post.

This will be sad news for WhatsApp users in developing markets, where some of these older operating systems are still relevant.

At the beginning of the month, WhatsApp announced that it has 1 billion users.

In January, WhatsApp founder Jan Koum announced that the app would no longer charge a $1 annual fee, making the messaging app completely free.

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Jason Hahn is a part-time freelance writer based in New Jersey. He earned his master's degree in journalism at Northwestern…

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