WhatsApp has bid farewell to two long-term partners with the start of the new year, ditching support for Blackberry and Windows 8.0 or older smartphones.
Users will be able to continue to use the Facebook owned app but won’t be able to create new accounts or re-verify existing accounts.
The move will eventually lead to the messenger crashing and becoming unusable, after update support was withdrawn today.
The Facebook-owned app is ready to move on from Blackberry and some old Windows phones. Today, the app stopped working on phones running Windows 8.0 or older, Blackberry OS or Blackberry 10
The Menlo-Park based developers of the popular platform have said that they will not continue to work on these operating systems.
They plan to phase them out in favour of steering resources into the more popular Android and iOS versions of the app.
If you are using one of the affected models, you will need to upgrade to a newer OS to ensure ongoing support.
This includes Android running OS 4.0 or above, iPhone running iOS 7 or above, or Windows Phone 8.1 or above.
Writing in a support note on WhatsApp’s website, a company spokesman said: ‘These platforms don’t offer the kind of capabilities we need to expand our app’s features in the future.
‘If you use one of these affected mobile devices, we recommend upgrading.
Once you have one of these devices, simply install WhatsApp and verify your phone number on the new device.
‘Keep in mind that WhatsApp can only be activated with one phone number on one device at a time.
‘There is currently no option to transfer your chat history between platforms.
‘However, we provide the option to send your chat history attached to an email.’
WhatsApp was first launched in 2009 at a time when there was greater diversity in the operating systems used on smartphones.
Removing support for less popular platforms should not entirely come as a surprise, however, with WhatsApp releasing a blog post in February 2016 signalling its intentions.
Writing in it, the firm said: ‘Mobile operating systems offered by Google, Apple and Microsoft – which account for 99.5 per cent of sales today – were on less than 25 per cent of mobile devices sold at the time.
‘As we look ahead to our next seven years, we want to focus our efforts on the mobile platforms the vast majority of people use.’
For Windows users, the thought of losing WhatsApp is likely not their main concern after the announcement from Microsoft stating it is giving up on the mobile phone range.
![he deadline for Blackberry was originally set for the end of 2016, however, Whatsapp later announced it would be staying with Blackberry until the end of 2017](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/12/27/13/479816EF00000578-5214991-he_deadline_for_Blackberry_was_originally_set_for_the_end_of_201-a-22_1514379987831.jpg)
![Windows phones will have no problem with the app if they have the newer operating systems as it is only older devices which still operate Windows Phone 8.0 or earlier which will see a change](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/12/27/12/4797FC4A00000578-5214991-image-m-19_1514378069085.jpg)
The developers called it a ‘tough decision’ and the app intends to take itself of other platforms in the coming years
Windows phone users will have no problem with the app as long as they have the newer operating systems.
Only devices which still operate Windows Phone 8.0 or earlier will be affected.
The deadline for Blackberry was originally set for the end of 2016, however WhatsApp later announced it would continue support until the end of 2017.
This is the latest in a string of streamlining changes for the messenger, which ended supporting for iOS 6 at the end of 2016 and earlier this year withdrew the Nokia S60 from its roster.
The slimming down of platforms and services is set to continue after Blackberry and Windows 8.0.
The Nokia S40 is to be jettisoned at the end of 2018 and by the end of February 2020, Android versions 2.3.7 will no longer work.