Unfortunately, as smartphone technology progresses, some gadgets become frozen, as Meta intends to do with three iPhones.

WhatsApp will stop working on certain Apple phones two weeks from today (May 5) due to an update that requires an operating system no older than four years.

It will be a terrible blow for many of its two billion monthly users, since it is the world’s most popular messaging program.

Already, WhatsApp has been withdrawn for usage on the first seven iPhones, produced between 2007 and 2013, which include the original iPhone, the iPhone 3G, the iPhone 3GS, the iPhone 4, the iPhone 4S, the iPhone 5, and lastly, the iPhone 5C.

So, without further ado, let’s look at the three iPhones on which WhatsApp will no longer operate starting next month.

iPhone 5S

Made in 2013, the iPhone 5S is only supported by iOS 12.5.7, and part of the WhatsApp upgrade implies iPhones must be compatible with iOS versions 15.1 and later.

So, if you’re lucky enough to still have a functional iPhone 5S, you might have to consider leaving it for another smartphone, assuming you’d be prepared to do so for WhatsApp, which is part of Meta.

iPhone 6

The iPhone 6, which debuted in 2014, comes next. Like the iPhone 5S, the most recent iOS version available is 12.5.7, which is far behind what will be required to enable WhatsApp.

If you’ve managed to maintain your mobile phone for more than a decade and it’s still in functioning condition, then you need to bottle that wisdom and sell it because most people’s phones begin to crumble after two years or so.

iPhone 6 Plus

Ahhh, I remember when the iPhone 6 Plus debuted in 2014. It was the first of Apple’s gadgets to feature a much larger screen.

I recall folks saying it was like going around with an iPad in your pocket because it was just 5.5 inches. Funnily enough, I own an iPhone 13 that stands 5.78 inches tall.

Anyway, the iPhone 6 Plus, like the two phones before it, can only run iOS 12.5.7.

WhatsApp’s compatibility upgrades have not just targeted iPhones; as of January, it was no longer compatible with Android’s KitKat operating system.

WhatsApp claims on its website, “Devices and software change often; therefore, we continually examine and upgrade the operating systems we support.

“Every year, we determine which gadgets and software are the oldest and have the fewest users. These smartphones may also lack the most recent security patches or the functionality needed to operate WhatsApp.