WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging apps in the world, with over 2 billion active users. It allows users to send messages, photos, videos, documents and make voice and video calls for free over the internet. WhatsApp is available for most smartphones, including iPhones and Android phones. However, it doesn’t support every phone model or operating system. In this article, we will look at the compatibility of WhatsApp across various phone brands and operating systems.
WhatsApp Requirements
For WhatsApp to work on any device, there are some basic requirements:
- The phone must be a smartphone with an internet connection
- The phone must be able to receive SMS or phone calls
- The phone must have an operating system like iOS, Android, KaiOS, etc. WhatsApp does not support feature phones with limited capabilities
- The operating system must be relatively recent – WhatsApp typically supports the latest major OS version and 2-3 versions before that
- Phones must have adequate storage space for the app and photos/videos sent through it
- Phones need a camera to use all features of WhatsApp
With these prerequisites in mind, let’s look at WhatsApp compatibility across popular phone brands and operating systems.
WhatsApp for iPhones
WhatsApp is supported on iPhones running iOS 10 and newer versions. Specifically, these iPhone models can run WhatsApp as of iOS 16 (released in 2022):
- iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max (iOS 16)
- iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Mini, iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 13 Pro Max (iOS 15)
- iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Mini, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max (iOS 14)
- iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max (iOS 13)
- iPhone XR, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max (iOS 12)
- iPhone X (iOS 11)
- iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus (iOS 11)
- iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus (iOS 10)
- iPhone SE (1st and 2nd gen) (iOS 9.3)
- iPhone 6S, iPhone 6S Plus (iOS 9)
So in summary, WhatsApp works on any iPhone model running iOS 10 or newer. The app automatically updates itself on iPhones through the App Store.
WhatsApp for Older iPhones
Many older iPhones that cannot be updated to iOS 10 and later can no longer use WhatsApp. This includes models like the iPhone 5, iPhone 5C, iPhone 4S, iPhone 4, and original iPhone. For these iPhones, WhatsApp stopped working in early 2020.
WhatsApp for Android Phones
On Android phones, WhatsApp requires Android 4.1 Jelly Bean or newer versions. Here are the Android versions of popular smartphone brands that can currently use WhatsApp:
Samsung Phones
- Android 13 on Galaxy S22, S22+, S22 Ultra
- Android 12 on Galaxy S21 Series, Fold Series
- Android 11 on Galaxy S20, Note 20 Series
- Android 10 on Galaxy S10, Note 10 Series
- Android 9 on Galaxy S9, S9+, Note 9
Google Pixel Phones
- Android 13 on Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro
- Android 12 on Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro
- Android 11 on Pixel 5, Pixel 4a (5G)
- Android 10 on Pixel 4, Pixel 4 XL, Pixel 4a
- Android 9 on Pixel 3, Pixel 3 XL, Pixel 3a
OnePlus Phones
- Android 13 on OnePlus 10 Pro
- Android 12 on OnePlus 9 Series, OnePlus Nord 2
- Android 11 on OnePlus 8 Series, OnePlus Nord
- Android 10 on OnePlus 7 Series, OnePlus 7T Series
Xiaomi Phones
- Android 12 on Xiaomi 12 Series
- Android 11 on Xiaomi Mi 11 Series, Redmi Note 10 Series
- Android 10 on Redmi K20 Series, Redmi Note 9 Series
- Android 9 on Redmi Note 7 Series
So in essence, WhatsApp can work on any Android phone with Android 4.1 or newer and enough storage space. The app automatically updates on Android via Google Play store.
WhatsApp for Other Operating Systems
Beyond iOS and Android, WhatsApp also works on a few other mobile operating systems:
KaiOS
KaiOS is designed for feature phones. WhatsApp is available for KaiOS 2.5.1 and newer versions. It can be installed on popular KaiOS phones like:
- JioPhone and JioPhone 2
- Nokia 8110 4G
- Nokia 2720 Flip
- Alcatel Go Flip 3
- Energizer Energy E211
Windows Phone
WhatsApp was supported on Windows Phone 8.1 and Windows 10 Mobile OS. However, support was discontinued in December 2019. WhatsApp no longer works on any Windows phone.
Conclusion
To summarize, WhatsApp is compatible with:
- iPhones running iOS 10 or newer
- Android phones running Android 4.1 Jelly Bean or newer
- KaiOS phones running KaiOS 2.5.1 or newer
It is not available for Windows phones or older iPhone models. The app needs an internet connection and a smartphone with adequate storage space and camera. On Android and iOS, WhatsApp automatically updates to the latest version via app stores. This ensures you can keep using the messaging app as long as your phone supports the minimum OS version.
WhatsApp Support By Phone Model
Here is a table summarizing WhatsApp support across popular smartphone models:
| Phone Model | Operating System | WhatsApp Supported? |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone 14 Series | iOS 16 | Yes |
| iPhone 13 Series | iOS 15 | Yes |
| iPhone 12 Series | iOS 14 | Yes |
| iPhone 11 Series | iOS 13 | Yes |
| iPhone XR, XS Series | iOS 12 | Yes |
| iPhone 5C | iOS 10 | No |
| Samsung Galaxy S22 Series | Android 13 | Yes |
| Google Pixel 7 Series | Android 13 | Yes |
| OnePlus 10 Pro | Android 13 | Yes |
| Redmi Note 11 Series | Android 11 | Yes |
| Nokia 8110 4G | KaiOS 2.5.1 | Yes |
| Lumia 640 XL | Windows 10 Mobile | No |
Key Takeaways
- WhatsApp requires iOS 10+ on iPhones, Android 4.1+ on Android phones, and KaiOS 2.5.1+ on feature phones
- It does not work on Windows phones or older iPhones unable to update to iOS 10+
- WhatsApp automatically updates to the latest version on supported iPhones and Android phones
- Users must have an internet connection and adequate storage space on their phones
Following these version requirements and device capabilities allows you to use WhatsApp on the majority of modern smartphones. With its constantly evolving features, WhatsApp aims to provide an optimal messaging experience across operating systems.