WhatsApp Ending Support for Windows Phone on December 31, UWP App Tipped to Arrive
By WhatsApp on Tuesday updated its mobile device support blog post, and announced that it is ending support for the Windows Phone platform on December 31, 2019. This applies to all versions of the Windows Phone operating system. End of support in this case doesn’t just mean lack of future updates, but the app will also stop working on the platform. Separately however, WhatsApp beta watcher WABetaInfo has tipped a Universal Windows Platform (UWP) app is in development, said to be available for both Windows Desktop and Windows Phone platforms.
WhatsApp for Windows Phone end-of-support date
The Facebook-owned instant messaging service has updated its mobile support blog post, and notes that support for all versions of the Windows Phone platform will end after December 31, 2019. This means that in 2020, Windows Phone users will not be able to use WhatsApp on their devices.
In a statement emailed to Gadgets 360, a WhatsApp spokesperson added that the last update for the platform will be issued in June, “Following Microsoft’s recent decision to end support for Windows Mobile devices in December, WhatsApp will release its final update for Windows phones in June. WhatsApp will continue working on Windows phones through the end of the year.”
To recall, WhatsApp stopped working for Windows Phone 7 back at the end of 2016.
Separately, the WhatsApp blog notes that the app will stop working on old versions of Android (v2.3.7 and older) and iOS (iOS 7 and older) on February 1, 2020.
WhatsApp UWP rumour
WABetaInfo in a tweet on Tuesday claimed that WhatsApp is working on a Universal Windows Platform (UWP) app – this would effectively allow the app to be used on recent versions of Windows Phone and Windows Desktop platforms. The beta watcher didn’t mention just when such an app would be released, or whether it would effectively nullify the end of support announcement. As this is still in the realm of rumours, though from a very reliable tipster, we’ll just have to wait and see what WhatsApp has in store for the Windows platform.
