WhatsApp is leaving KaiOS-based JioPhone and JioPhone 2 for good. After abandoning older versions, the world’s most popular chat app will stop support for the feature phone operating system next year. WhatsApp has apparently stopped working on devices running KaiOS 2.5.4 or later, according to users who posted screenshots of the app returning the “Something went wrong” error and said even resetting the phone or reinstalling the app did not work.
A subreddit has multiple reports pointing out that WhatsApp has suddenly become incompatible with KaiOS phones. Most of these reports are for new WhatsApp installs, but those who already have WhatsApp on their KaiOS-powered devices can access the app and its features. However, the KaiOS support page has confirmed that WhatsApp will stop working in early 2025.
“Devices purchased and activated before June 25, 2024, with WhatsApp already logged in, will remain functional until early 2025,” said the support page. It also confirmed that support for devices where WhatsApp was never logged in or logged out ended on June 25.
In other words, only those with WhatsApp logged into their latest KaiOS devices should be able to use the services until early 2025. The impacted phones include the JioPhone, JioPhone 2, Nokia 800 Tough, Nokia 2720 Flip, Nokia 2780 Flip, Nokia 6300 4G, Nokia 8000 4G, and Nokia 8110 4G. Some Alcatel and Energizer models are also impacted. If you have a device with KaiOS 3.0, you can use WhatsApp only if you are already logged in until 2025.
While WhatsApp has not said anything official about ditching KaiOS, which runs a substantial number of features on phones, KaiOS has confirmed, so if you are hoping for any changes, you better plan to change your phone instead.
