Cross-platform instant messaging service WhatsApp will no longer be working on devices running on Windows Phone 8.0, including older versions of the operating system, and BlackBerry OS or BlackBerry 10 after Dec. 31, 2017.
In a blog post, the company recommended users of the mentioned operating systems to upgrade to a newer Android or iPhone for them to be able to continue enjoying the services offered by WhatsApp. They added that because they will no longer be actively developing the service for the specified platforms, some features may stop functioning at any time.
"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," the company's blog post read. "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."
The company had earlier discontinued active development of WhatsApp for devices running on Android 2.1 and Android 2.2, Windows Phone 7, and iPhone 3GS/iOS 6 after Dec. 31, 2016. Six months later, the development of the application for the Nokia Symbian S60 was also stopped after Jun. 30, 2017.
Aside from the BlackBerry OS and Windows Phone 8 operating systems, WhatsApp will soon be ditching the Nokia S40 after Dec. 31, 2018, and Android versions 2.3.7 and older after Feb. 1, 2020.
The company highlighted that when WhatsApp launched in 2009, the use of mobile devices looked very different. The Apple App Store was only a few months old and around 70 percent of smartphones had operating systems offered by Nokia and BlackBerry. Today, operating systems offered by Google, Apple, and Microsoft account for roughly 99 percent of sales, which is why the company wants to focus on mobile platforms that most people are using.
