WhatsApp will stop working on several older iPhones unless they get a software update.
Starting Nov 30, the messaging app will require iOS 15.5 or later. The cutoff affects the iPhone 6s, 6s Plus, first‑gen iPhone SE, iPhone 7 and 7 Plus. Those models can only receive iOS 15.8.8, so users must install the latest update before the deadline. No device is being dropped outright; any phone that can run iOS 15.1 can also run 15.5 with a simple Settings → General → Software Update.
The change matters because it forces owners of these mid‑range phones to keep their software current or lose native WhatsApp access. In mid‑2025, Meta already forced iPhone 5s, 6 and 6 Plus users onto the web client after those models hit iOS 15.0 limits. The new requirement pushes the same line further up the product range, shrinking the pool of devices that can run the app natively.
For now, the update is a routine bump, but it signals that older iPhone hardware will keep losing app support as platform requirements inch forward.