Three older iPhone models are losing compatibility with WhatsApp. For YouTube, it's a disaster: five Apple phones are no longer supported. There is a workaround to continue using these platforms, but it's not a very pleasant one.
iPhones have a very long software lifespan, but that doesn't mean they're immortal. Older models that are no longer updated by Apple are losing support for two of the world's most popular apps: WhatsApp and YouTube.
In the case of WhatsApp, this is no surprise. Meta had announced the end of support as early as December 2024. Facebook's parent company had announced a compatibility end date for early May 2025, but we were finally given an extra month. As of now, the messaging app requires at least iOS 15.1 to work on iPhones. The iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, and iPhone 6 Plus, all released over ten years ago and stuck at iOS 12.5.7, are therefore no longer able to use WhatsApp.
Older iPhones Lose WhatsApp and YouTube
When it comes to YouTube, Google is leaving even more devices behind. The latest version (20.22.1) of the app requires an iPhone running iOS 16 or later. The iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, and iPhone 6 Plus mentioned earlier were already unable to access YouTube. They are now joined by the iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, and the first-generation iPhone SE. The iPod touch 7 is also a victim of this skimming, as are the manufacturer's tablets that cannot be upgraded to iPadOS 16, namely the iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 4. However, there is nothing to report on the Apple TV side, since YouTube still supports devices running tvOS 13. Note that it is still possible to access these services on devices that are no longer officially supported. The solution is to use the web versions of WhatsApp and YouTube, from any browser. The experience is clearly not as optimized as with the app, but it can be a suitable troubleshooting option.
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