I woke up this morning to THREE separate texts from my tech-phobic uncle panicking about WhatsApp. "Is my phone dying???" Poor guy still clutches his iPhone 6 like it's made of gold. And honestly, I can't blame him – have you seen what phones cost these days?

But here's the brutal truth: if you're rocking certain older iPhones, WhatsApp is about to ghost you harder than my ex after I accidentally liked his new girlfriend's vacation photos from 2019. (Not my finest hour.)

The Digital Guillotine Falls at Midnight

WhatsApp – you know, that little green icon that literally two billion of us depend on daily – is hours away from dropping support for three iPhone models. This isn't a drill. By Monday, these devices will be WhatsApp-less wastelands where no messages can travel.

Why? Because technology marches on and leaves the weak behind. Dramatic? Maybe. True? Absolutely.

Wait... which phones are getting the axe?

The casualties are all from Apple's lineup:

iPhone 5s (that ancient relic from 2013)
iPhone 6
iPhone 6 Plus

I still remember when teh iPhone 6 launched – I stood in line for FOUR HOURS outside an Apple Store in the rain. My socks were soaked through. The things we used to do before online ordering became normal...

So What's Their Excuse This Time?

According to WhatsApp: "Devices and software change often, so we regularly review what operating systems we support and make updates."

Translation: your phone is too damn old and hardly anyone uses it anymore.

They continue with the corporate speak: "Every year we look at which devices and software are the oldest and have the fewest users. These devices also might not have the latest security updates, or might lack the functionality required to run WhatsApp."

At least they're giving warnings: "Before we stop supporting your operating system, you'll be notified in WhatsApp and reminded a few times to upgrade."

The Technical Nitty-Gritty (for those who care)

After May 5th, WhatsApp will only work on iPhones running iOS 15.1 or newer. Until then, any iPhone with iOS 12 or above can still use the app.

Listen. This isn't just WhatsApp being mean. Apple stopped updating these phones ages ago. My colleague Ryan was still using an iPhone 6 until last year when his banking app suddenly refused to open. His response: "already updating my resume so I can afford a new one."

The Forgotten Security Angle

There's actually a solid reason behind all this that goes beyond just forcing you to buy new stuff. Outdated operating systems are basically open invitations to hackers. Without security patches, your ancient iPhone might as well have a "PLEASE STEAL MY DATA" sticker on the back.

And WhatsApp isn't alone in this digital purge. Spotify and Instagram already kicked iOS 12 users to the curb months ago.

What Now?

If you're still clinging to one of these phones... well, you've got options. None of them great, but options nonetheless.

You could upgrade your phone (ouch, my wallet feels that). Or maybe it's time to convince your family to switch to another messaging platform? Good luck with that conversation – I tried getting my family to switch apps in 2018 and my dad still brings it up at holiday dinners as "that time you tried to ruin Christmas."

Time's running out, friends.

And for what it's worth, I'm typing this on an iPhone 8 that's hanging on by a thread. We're all in this technological rat race together.