You now need a device running at least Android 4.0 ICS

Jan 3, 2017 19:11 GMT  ·  By

Following WhatsApp's decision to stop supporting older mobile operating systems like Android 2.1, Android 2.2, iOS 6 and Windows Phone 7, the competition has made a similar decision.

Telegram, one the most popular mobile messengers, is no longer supporting devices running Android 2.2, Android 2.3 and Android 3.0. The developer hasn't made any official announcements regarding the move, but it quietly updated the application's FAQ.

Now, according to Telegram's new FAQ, “you can use Telegram on smartphones, tablets, and even computers. We have apps for iOS (6 and above), Android (4.0 and up) and Windows Phone. You can also use Telegram'sweb version or install one of our desktop apps for Windows, OSX, and Linux.”

For some reason, Telegram hasn't yet removed iOS 6 from the list of supported platforms, and the application might even work on Windows Phone 7.

Telegram for Android
Telegram for Android

If you're still using an Android 2.2, 2.3 or 3.0 device and want to continue to use Telegram's services, you will have to switch to a newer device.

Telegram and WhatsApp won't be the only companies to drop support for older operating systems, so those still using obsolete devices will continue to lose access to many other apps.

One solution would be to start using the web version of Telegram and WhatsApp, at least until you switch to a newer device, but that's not something that many will want to use unless as a temporary solution.

Even though Telegram won't work on devices powered by Android 2.2, 2.3 and 3.0 starting this week, the app's market share won't shrink at all since those who still use older devices account for no more than 1.4%.

Assuming that many of those don't even use Telegram as their main messenger solution, the loss in usage is clearly negligible. According to the latest official statement, Telegram has nearly 100 million active users.

Photo Gallery (2 Images)

Telegram logo
Telegram for Android
Open gallery