Typed out. From October, the popular messenger service WhatsApp is no longer usable on many smartphones. This affects thousands of users.
At regular intervals, WhatsApp stopped supporting older smartphone generations. This means that anyone using one of the affected devices will no longer have access to WhatsApp messenger. The current step will take place as early as October 24, 2022, when WhatsApp will discontinue support for the iOS 10 and 11 operating systems. iPhone owners will therefore have to use a smartphone that runs on at least iOS version 12 in the future.
Then nothing works at all
Many iPhone users can update their operating system, but this is no longer possible for models such as the iPhone 5 and iPhone 5C and older. Apple no longer provides software updates for these smartphones. For the time being, the affected users can still use WhatsApp, but as of now, they will no longer be able to create an account, re-verify themselves or install updates. At a later date, it won’t run at all.
Step number 1 is to check whether the operating system can be updated. If you do not have this set automatically, you can check this on Android in Settings > System > Software update. On iOS, this can be done under Settings > General > Software update. If an update is not possible, there are two alternatives. Instead of WhatsApp, you can use an alternative app like Telegram or Threema.
Do not forget to back up.
The problem with this is that the user’s contacts often do not want to switch from WhatsApp to another provider. If you continue using WhatsApp, you usually have to buy a new smartphone. But don’t forget to secure it: If you install the messenger on a new phone or delete the app, all messages are gone. But the chats can be saved.
How to secure your chats on Whatsapp
All messages are gone if you install the messenger on a new phone or delete the app. But the chats can be easily saved.
The messages you send and receive on Whatsapp are only saved on the device itself. On the cell phone, you use Whatsapp and have installed the app. The contents are gone if you remove the messenger or switch to a new device.
Whatsapp users can also back up their chat histories to avoid this possible data loss. Especially if you have saved a lot of photos or videos, however, you should connect to the WLAN for this.
For Android phones
Chat histories are stored on Google Drive for Android users. First, open Whatsapp and go to the settings within the app. Under Chats > Chat backup, you will find the corresponding locations for backing up the data.
Under “Backup to Google Drive,” you can set how often a backup of your data should be created. This will then be done automatically, and in the period you selected. You can simply restore the chats when you install them on a new phone.
With an iPhone
With an iPhone, chat histories are stored in Apple’s iCloud. The procedure is similar to Android. You can find the corresponding settings for backing up data under Chats > Chat backup in the app.
Under “Automatic backup,” you can automatically set the frequency with which backups should be made. This way, you can restore the chats on a new iPhone.
You can find more information and instructions on Whatsapp’s blog. Unfortunately, moving Whatsapp data from one operating system to another (Android to iOS and vice versa) is not so easy.
- source: heute.at/picture: pixabay.com
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