14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft is getting ready to pull support for Windows 10 Mobile later this year, and developers obviously one by one abandon the platform too.
The best messaging app for Windows phones is about to go dark as well, and this will clearly be one major hit for everyone planning to stick with Microsoft’s mobile operating system for a little longer.
WhatsApp has recently announced that on December 31 “all Windows Phone operating systems” would be abandoned, and the company warns that some features could stop working even earlier. This is because WhatsApp would no longer be improved on Windows phones.
In addition to Windows 10 Mobile, WhatsApp will also be retired for a number of other platforms, including Android versions 2.3.7 and older and iOS 7 and older. Both will be abandoned on February 1, 2020.
The end of Windows phones
Sticking with Windows phones is clearly no longer an option for users, especially if they want more than the core functionality of the platform.
The lack of apps has always been a problem on Windows Phone and Windows 10 Mobile, and it is, in fact, one of the reasons the mobile operating system eventually failed.
Microsoft itself recommended users to switch to Android or iOS if they want app support, and now that the latest high-profile apps are leaving too, this becomes a mandatory step.
Without WhatsApp, the only major messaging app still working on Windows 10 Mobile will be Telegram, albeit it goes without saying it’s all just a matter of time until its support for Microsoft’s mobile OS comes to an end as well.
The market share of Windows phones is currently 0 percent, so only a few users are likely to be impacted by WhatsApp’s departure. But once again, this reminds everyone that our beloved mobile operating system is gradually going dark once and for all.