WhatsApp confirms urgent 24-hour deadline - you could be blocked from chats tonight

Some WhatsApp users may suddenly find themselves without access to their chats later tonight. Mirror Online recently reported that the Meta-owned platform was planning to end support for some smartphones. Now that the worrying deadline has arrived, there are just hours left until the changes come into force.

Once the block takes place today, May 5, chats, videos calls and group messaging won't work on affected iPhones.

This isn't the first time this has happened. WhatsApp is well known for updating its list of compatible devices, with users of both Android and iPhones losing access in the past.

So, who will be affected by today's major update?

WhatsApp says it is no longer supporting some versions of Apple's iOS operating system, which means devices running on older software - and that can't upgrade - will be blocked from the platform.

It sounds scary, but don't be too panicked. As long as you have a relatively new iPhone in your pocket you'll be fine and will not miss out on chats with friends and family.

This change is only targeting call makers that can't run on iOS 15.1 and newer.

That means this update will affect three devices including the iPhone 5s, iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus which were all released over 10 years ago and have lost support for the latest iOS upgrades. If you have one of those phones, you only have hours left before the block.

"Starting May 5, 2025, only iOS versions 15.1 and newer will be supported." WhatsApp explained.

"Devices and software change often, so we regularly review what operating systems we support and make updates.

"Every year we look at which devices and software are the oldest and have the fewest users. These devices also might not have the latest security updates, or might lack the functionality required to run WhatsApp."

If you do have one of those devices then now is a good time to think about switching things up and buying a phone that's a little more modern.

You might even fancy getting the latest iPhone 16 or 16e which now feature clever Apple Intelligence which helps write your emails, retouch your photos and sort your inbox automatically.