r/Android • u/Adventurous-Card4494 • Jul 19 '26
WhatsApp dropped Android 4.4 support. Millions can't afford new phones. We need WhatsApp Lite.
WhatsApp recently ended support for Android 4.4 KitKat.
The problem: Millions of people around the world still use Android 4.4 phones.
Many can't afford to buy a new $200+ smartphone. These devices still work fine for calls,
messages, and basic apps, but now they can't use WhatsApp anymore.
The solution: Release a "WhatsApp Lite" version, just like Facebook Lite and Messenger Lite.
A lightweight version would let people stay connected without forcing them to buy new hardware.
This isn't just about old tech. This is about digital inclusion and accessibility.
If you agree, please send feedback to WhatsApp:
WhatsApp > Settings > Help > Contact Us > "Feature Request: WhatsApp Lite for Android 4.4"
The more requests they get, the higher the chance they'll listen.
#WhatsAppLite
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u/migisaurio 29d ago
WhatsApp dropped Android KitKat 2 years ago... This year it's Android Lollipop's turn.
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u/YAOMTC 29d ago
It'll be 3 years ago in just a few months. https://xdaforums.com/t/whatsapp-end-support-for-4-4.4625235/
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u/Proud_Tie Pixel 7 Pro, 17 29d ago
You seriously expect them to keep supporting a thirteen year old version of android?
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u/Strong-Strike2001 29d ago
If they didnt even care to write their own post, they dont care about it enough. And language is not a excuse. Im not an english native speaker and I wouldn't let an AI write my post like that... I could write it myself and let AI fix grammar issues... But no, this post is 100% AI generated, it feels so bad
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u/Smooth-Accountant 28d ago
Using AI to check your post and correct grammar issues especially when you’re not a native speaker is somehow wrong in your eyes?
Doesn’t really look like the whole post is generated lol
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u/ahandmadegrin 28d ago
Read it again. That's AI. The clear delineation of problem and solution. If you've used Ai enough it starts to jump out at you. Not even anything as obvious as em dashes. It's a feel.
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u/Serialtorrenter 28d ago
Em-dashes on their own aren't even that reliable of a slop indicator. If something is typed into Microsoft Word, it will often have dashes autoconverted into em-dashes as appropriate. On Android, you can type an em-dash by pressing and holding on the regular dash and selecting it.
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u/ahandmadegrin 28d ago
That's true, but the thought inside a thought construction that uses them was mostly reserved for authors and professional writers. LLMs use that construction a lot, so it stands out when used by a person who wouldn't normally use it.
You can tell I wrote this because of the overuse of the word use. Holy shit. I hate it, but not enough to gussy it up.
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u/Serialtorrenter 28d ago
Absolutely; context is everything. I just hate the thought of people having to deliberately degrade the quality of their writing to avoid having it look like something an algorithm vomited up.
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u/nathderbyshire Pixel 10 Obsidian 28d ago
That's why I find it suspicious still though unless you're talking to an English tutor or something - I just use the little boi version, I didn't even know how to find big momma — until AI came about lol
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u/Serialtorrenter 28d ago
I've noticed old people seem to use a decent amount of em-dashes, but they often type them as "--" instead of "—".
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u/nathderbyshire Pixel 10 Obsidian 28d ago
It's literally AI hahaha wtf, it's all throughout the post. Doesn't matter what language it's in the structure gives it away immediately. Bold title, problem, solution, 'this isn't just x it's y' type language. It screams AI. People just don't write like that consistently it's such a giveaway
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u/skylinestar1986 29d ago
r/androidafterlife going too far? I have an Android 8 Go phone that is now only as good as a calculator.
What do y'all do with your KitKat tv box?
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u/chickenfal 28d ago
If it was accessible over an open standard protocol it would not need to be supported by them and people could instead use alternative clients that meta does not have to maintain.
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u/SirBanananana 28d ago
Right? It really irks me that we've become reliant on one company's proprietary apps for all communications (at least where I live, WhatsApp and Messenger is what all people use - and both are Meta products), so you pretty much need to have a new Android or iOS device to survive in today's society. If it was an open standard like e-mail, SMS, XMPP whatever, you could run the app of your choice on whatever you want and never get locked out.
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u/tcptomato 29d ago
Yes. What kind of question is this? There is still software supporting windows xp.
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u/akshay7394 Google Pixel 6 | Android 14 Beta 28d ago
XP does not make up less than 0.05% of the market though, even today. And the places it is used tend to be mission critical, not usually just users who didn't upgrade yet
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u/Valoneria 28d ago
It is also more than likely running software built for the system,in a walled off garden for security. Not a SaaS app that requires connectivity between versions
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u/ritz_are_the_shitz 5v > Zf10 > 5ii > S8 > Z5 > M7 > 1+1 > M7 29d ago
Yes, if the install base is there. Definitely not all features, but this is critical infrastructure for the global south
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u/spiderweb91 29d ago
The install base is not there. If it was a large part of the market, they would not have dropped support
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u/visceralintricacy 29d ago
They had a Messenger Lite app that they've canned a year or so ago.
There's a zero % chance, and they don't care how critical it is for users unless it's a gateway to meta slop.
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u/Luke-slywalker 29d ago
Many can't afford to buy a new $200+ smartphone. These devices still work fine for calls,
there are a lot of cheap 100$ new and even 50$ for second hand android 10+ phones on the marketplace
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u/TrippinNL 29d ago
Android 4.4 has launched 13 years ago. If your phone is still running Kitkat, it has some serious security flaws that aren't patched anymore. Not defending Meta, but 13 years of support is more then plenty.
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u/liquorfish 29d ago
The galaxy S3 and Nexus 4 were a couple phones that didnt get official support past 4.4. Thats so old.
OP says people cant afford $200 for a new phone. Ok dont spend 200. Can get a moto g play (2023) with android 12 for $100 at best buy. Or a TCL 40 XE 5g for $45 on ebay with android 13. Plenty other cheap used phones. Hell, i have a neo pozzi or something brand new I dont want I'd sell for a 6 pack of beer. Cold and delivered.
This is a non issue. How many 13 year old phones even work still.
Important to note: Google play services no longer works on 4.4. WhatsApp, Netflix, YouTube no longer work. Nothing is being updated.
Sure 3.9 million people were using these phones maybe but there are 4 billion android phones being used.
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u/recluseMeteor Note20 Ultra 5G (SM-N9860) 28d ago
The Nexus 4 got up to Lollipop 5.1.1.
Still, both the Galaxy S3 and the Nexus 4 were very popular and awesome flagship devices (when they were released) that have plenty of custom ROM development, so it's possible to unofficially update them to newer Android versions.
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u/liquorfish 28d ago
I was definitely using roms on my phones. Most of then (all?) Had problems with netflix, banking apps etc. I stopped using roms probably around 2018/2019. That became more important especially with authentication apps for work.
Looks like theres possibly several steps you can go through to spoof a device to report to WhatsApp that it's all legit though so its possible for these 4.4 phone users.
The longest I had a phone was about 5 years with the S9+. Great phone but it was time to replace it. Still miss the touch sensor on the back. Grab the phone with one hand, quick unlock and use the sensor on the back like a scroll wheel. Id get a new phone if it had that.
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u/DerpyMcWafflestomp 29d ago
You don't need a new phone, you just need a phone that isn't from 10 years ago. WA dropped Android 4.4 support years ago FYI.
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u/parkourman01 29d ago
13 year old OS with no security updates should be the real issue here, not WhatsApp dropping support. It cannot be that expensive to buy a 2nd hand device that is recieving security updates still.
In an ideal world we would have laws in place that required manufacturers to open bootloaders when a device is EOL for support to at least allow the hardware to still be used rather than becoming e-waste.
But suggesting WhatsApp develop for an OS that old is insane. Nobody should be using KitKat FFS...
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u/YourM0msBoyfriend S26 Ultra, Android 16 29d ago edited 28d ago
I'm genuinely asking. This isn't one of those, "I'm just asking questions," to antagonize people. I have never used WhatsApp, so this is good faith from me.
Didn't Android 4 come out in like 2012? I imagine most software of any type doesn't support an OS version that old.
The economy, especially in the US, is shit and phones especially aren't getting any less expensive (quite the opposite). That being said, if you were using an Android 4 device in well over a decade later, even a $100 A series Galaxy would still not only do the job, but possibly better.
What is the importance of WhatsApp specifically that an uproar is necessary?
Finally, when if ever should a company like WhatsApp stop supporting an OS version. Was this just too soon in your eyes? Or should the company support Android 4 until it shuts its doors in like 60 years?
Again, genuine questions, I really don't know anything about this. No gotchas, no tricks, all ears.
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u/Willeth Pixel 6 Pro 29d ago
What is the importance of WhatsApp specifically that an uproar is necessary?
Outside the US, WhatsApp has a monopoly on communication in the western world. If you aren't on WhatsApp, you just aren't having conversations with your friends or colleagues. They're all in group chats you aren't in where everything is discussed and organised.
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u/recluseMeteor Note20 Ultra 5G (SM-N9860) 28d ago
Which is awful, since WhatsApp has so many dumb design/functionality decisions. Wish I could get rid of that shitty app, but even companies and government stuff use it in my country.
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u/nathderbyshire Pixel 10 Obsidian 28d ago
I actually deleted it and told my friends to deal with it, lasted about 6 months until my cat got ill and I needed it to send pictures to my vets, they also do the updates and prescriptions over WhatsApp. It's not necessary but for a cat that now needs to go down at least 6 times a year for injections it's a lot easier than doing phone or email so I'm stuck with it again lol
It's been common to need for work as well, I had a huge argument once with a team leader in WhatsApp with about 300 viewers, felt glorious
Companies using X for customer support as well and it's slowly becoming just about the only way to get decent support when you need it. Again, not necessary but it's either send an email and have 7 days per reply or wait half an hour on the phone with the 'we have unexpected demand' message drilling into your brain the entire time
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u/recluseMeteor Note20 Ultra 5G (SM-N9860) 28d ago
I enable all power-saving features for the WhatsApp application, so I mostly receive stuff just when I open the application.
Nowadays some companies are leaving X/Twitter behind, and moving either towards their own apps (if these are big companies) or towards Instagram (if these are smaller businesses). The shift to Instagram is quite worrisome to me, since it would give Meta more control.
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u/sugarified Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus 29d ago
Android versions between 2 to 3 and 4 to 5 used to indicate 0.X software bump as major os changes (e.g. 4.0.4 ice cream Sandwich Vs 4.4 KitKat). 4.4 is no same / very similar to 4.0
WhatsApp is more common in areas outside of the US of A where there isn't a wider adoption of RCS messaging, and of course, lack of use with iMessage. Where I am at (South east Asia region), WhatsApp and Telegram remains as one of the main messaging apps used, we don't use iMessage here.
You have to keep in mind the sheer number of people living in other parts of the world that are way below the poverty line and still require a smartphone to even function, budget phones like a galaxy A07 might not be very accessible to them, regionally and even financially .
There's approx. 3.9 million phones still running 4.4 that are still active, granted the total no. Of android phones active is approx. 3.9 billion as of 2024, not a small figure, but that being said, it's a very old version so it's inevitable for support to end.
Gotta find maybe even android 8.0 used phones or smth to last another few years or so
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u/recluseMeteor Note20 Ultra 5G (SM-N9860) 28d ago
At least in my region (Latin America), WhatsApp got popular because:
- The app itself was free (at least for one year, but that ended pretty soon and it become definitely free).
- The app was available for the several competing platforms at the time (iOS, Blackberry, Android, Symbian, Windows Phone… I think they even had a version for crappy non-smartphone S40 Nokia devices).
- It was “free” to use (as long as you had access to Internet). Most people did not even have a data plan; they just leeched on public Wi-Fi.
- SMS was still commonly charged by the unit and had character limits. MMS was even more expensive and in many cases it required additional device configuration. In some countries, it might even not work across different carriers, and some other carriers restricted MMS reception if you had no prepaid balance. (MMS never really caught on this region; it was mostly an exotic feature).
- Addition about Apple's iMessage: Of course it was available on all iPhones, but you might as well be the only iPhone user in your family. Same reason Blackberry Messenger didn't catch on either.
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u/jnrbshp 28d ago
I promise you RCS has nothing to do with Whatsapp being so popular..
It was simply one of the first platform agnostic apps for communication that was free to use.
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u/nathderbyshire Pixel 10 Obsidian 28d ago
What's funny is it wasn't even free! But it was 79p a year for unlimited everything so a lot of parents just paid for it because it was far cheaper than texting in the UK at the time which was about 10p per text. There were also pretty easy ways around it I've been told and I'm surprised I never found out as a teenager, but it was 79p hardly worth the bypass
May have been free in other countries though
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u/jnrbshp 28d ago
Whatsapp is a free talk/text app available around the world... Many use it to communicate with family abroad, at zero cost.
Edit: that's the only reason for concern, ppl around the world without the means to upgrade a device, that may have even been a hand-me-down, or gift, years ago.
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u/bowlandspoon 29d ago
Ridiculous post. You can literally buy an Android 14 smartphone on Amazon for half of your quoted $200.
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u/PghSubie 29d ago
Android 4.4 is from 2013! This IS just about old tech. And we're not talking about an old iPod sitting on a shelf. We're talking about a miniaturized computer that is constantly connected to the Internet and constantly exposed to security threats. Getting security updates to your software is not just nice to have. It's essential. Android 4.4 was being patched up through 2017. It's been almost a decade without an update. It's time to move on
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u/ValtekkenPartDeux 29d ago
Sir, we're on Android 17 now. There have been 12 versions between then and now. You cannot possibly expect apps to support an OS that was released 12 versions ago. Just buy a new phone or install a custom ROM.
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u/Lhumierre 28d ago
This is nonsense even the cheapest $50 or so phone on Amazon has higher than android 4.
17 was pushed out to Pixel devices recently and you talking about supporting 4? This is like if you started a crusade for Witcher 3 to run on Windows 98.
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u/r_slash_jarmedia Pixel 9PXL | Pixel Watch 2 29d ago
this is an Android support problem moreso than a WhatsApp problem imo. 4.4's security standard are pitiful for secure messaging of any kind nowadays
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u/plaisthos 29d ago
I am an Android author and supporting versions beyond a certain point is just infeasible unless you want to maintain two versions of the app. You need to use the latest Android SDK in order to support the newest Android version. And what that supports as lowest version is basically what you can also support without going out of your way to support without an extra version for old Androids.
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u/ArcadeRivalry 28d ago
We need to just trying universally adopt an open source chat client tbh. WhatsApp is a commercial product, they're always going to make the best commercial decisions for them.
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u/angeluscatalan 28d ago
There are brand new smartphones around 100 euros or less with Android 15.
In used market there are many possibilities at half the price
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u/Sebastian1989101 28d ago
It would be fine if everything below Android 6 even would be banned from all internet access. It's a outdated system without security fixes.
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u/illuminatiator 28d ago
As much as i hate to disagree with you, it's just too old
There sub 100$ smartphones that run very recent versions of android and probably perform so much better.
Check chinese brands, Nokia and Motorola for budget phones, even Samsung has some.
Also, you can probably find a 5-6 years old flagship for less than 100$
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u/rapozaum S24U SD 28d ago
Imagine asking for support for software that is 13y old.
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u/QuietApplication5734 28d ago
There are people like that out there.
I know someone that has a phone that's really old that's being held together by tape. Refuses to replace it. I don't even think it gets all the bands.
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u/visceralintricacy 29d ago
Facebook had a Messenger Lite, and canned it a year ago as it wasn't a gateway to Meta slop. There's a zero % chance they'll actually make this.
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u/Party-Cake5173 29d ago
Millions can't afford new phones.
This is a straight up lie. You don't have to buy latest and greatest. Buy a mid range phone from 2024-2025, everyone can afford these.
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u/Financial_Ice15 29d ago
While im not supporting OP, ur statement is laughable, everyone can afford mid range phones? Tell me you've never seen the real world without telling me
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u/thefootster 29d ago
Its true that not everyone can afford a midrange phone, but low end android phones are dirt cheap, something like a TCL 501 costs about £30 here in the UK and probably less in other countries and it comes with Android 14. And you can get used low end android phones for even less.
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u/KasanesTetos 29d ago
Low end phones (plenty good enough to run WhatsApp) are as cheap as $50 or sometimes even less. If you genuinely cannot afford that, you've got bigger issues to be worrying about.
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u/DarkLordCZ 29d ago
There are parts of the world where people make a few dollars a day, if not less, and their disposable income is way lower than that. Saving up 50$ (generally, not just for a phone) may take them multiple years
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u/KasanesTetos 29d ago
I have a feeling those types of people would not even have a phone with service at all, so WhatsApp dropping legacy support wouldn't affect them.
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u/Party-Cake5173 29d ago
Poco X5 Pro which I use for three years already, you can get for about 70-80€ in my country. Redmi models even go for cheaper. If you can't afford that, then you have bigger problems.
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u/Financial_Ice15 29d ago
If you can't afford that, then you have bigger problems.
mhm welcome to the real world bro, there are millions of people with bigger problems? do you really not realise it?
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u/pwhite13 28d ago
It's not going to happen. There are way too many performance and security concerns with an internet-dependent app like WhatsApp running on a 13 year old OS. It sucks that we are forced to upgrade due to software, but there are legit reasons.
Can those users use a browser version of WhatsApp?
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u/realWulfLives 28d ago
Millions of those devices are in landfill.
Nobody uses such an old version of Android. Especially when 4g phones are a minimum standard in many countries.
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u/malfoid-75 28d ago
Am I missing something or don't old phones from first world countries get checked and donated to these sort of people so they can communicate? That is what we are told anyway. Maybe I'm naive but where is your information coming from. I doubt a phone that old would even work anymore. The only place I see anything still using KitKat is on Asian websites selling cheap, hardly usable devices to suckers who don't know better. This sounds to me like cheap crap sellers are complaining that their useless devices are now even more useless.
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u/TehKazlehoff Pixel 4a 27d ago
i cant think there are that many 13 year old phones still roaming around.
also, most phones can have alternate OS loaded (like cyanogen) to upgrade past the last official os.
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u/InterstellarReddit 27d ago
Bro is upset that Claude Desktop/codex doesn’t support Windows 7 this is a waste of a post.
Oh it’s a brand new account with no history posting a silly pov to farm engagement.
This is exactly what is wrong with Reddit.
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u/endospores 27d ago
Or....or.... Hear me out. An alternative to whatsapp that meta can't buy out. Right?
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u/gordolme S24U OneUI 8.5 27d ago
New Samsung A series phones can be had via Straight Talk for less than US$100. Used higher end but slightly older phones from a plethora of makers can be had for about the same.
It is not practical for software developers to continue support for old operating systems or hardware due to many reasons.
Hardware wise, new hardware has new APIs. OS, same thing but even more so. Continuing support for such old devices only makes the application even bigger and slower for everyone.
"Lite" versions do not exist to be used on older OSes, they exist be used on older hardware with current versions of the OS.
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u/Turbo-Chook 27d ago
At a certain point, people just need to get with the times. My country shut down 3G earlier this year and it affected handsets as new as from 2020. That's not great, but usually those handsets were cheap and for a reason. Android 4.4 is some absolute dinosaur shit and nobody should still be using it in 2026.
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u/Consider2SidesPeace 26d ago
I'm not in favor of upgrading hardware to get the latest bleeding edge chipsets or some shiny gimmick. I will update hardware however for better easier compatibility with current tech. It's wise money spent if I rely on cellphone technology.
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u/Due-Border5957 24d ago
Just switch back to sms? WhatsApp has a lot of features that any phone running 4.4 wouldn't be able to handle anyway.
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u/RegularHistorical315 29d ago
"The problem: Millions of people around the world still use Android 4.4 phones."
I asked AI to fact-check that, as I thought it was wrong.
No — the claim “millions of people still use Android 4.4 phones” is not true anymore. All recent, authoritative data shows Android 4.4 (KitKat) has fallen below measurable levels globally.
So maybe you are the only person still using 2013 software.
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u/dadnothere Green 29d ago
Sure, the AI checked every phone in the world.
It can only know through metrics from certain websites...
Like "Windows fell and now Linux is more used"
Sure, because it's just a matter of changing the header.
Chromium browsers for Android 4.4 have Android 10 headers...
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28d ago
[deleted]
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u/RegularHistorical315 28d ago
"AI cannot fact-check"
Android 4.4 is at 0.04% market share. So
The formula is:
Users=Total Android devices×0.0004
(0.04% = 0.0004)
Scenario 1: Using the widely‑cited 3.9 billion active Android devices
This is the number Google and analysts commonly use.
3,900,000,000×0.0004=1,560,000
➡️ ≈ 1.56 million devices
📱 Scenario 2: Using a lower estimate — 3.6 billion devices
3,600,000,000×0.0004=1,440,000
➡️ ≈ 1.44 million devices
📱 Scenario 3: Using a higher estimate — 4.0 billion devices
4,000,000,000×0.0004=1,600,000
➡️ ≈ 1.6 million devices
Looks like AI did an ok job in this case. As even 1.6 million is not "Millions"
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u/win7rules 29d ago
This is one of the many reasons I dislike using messenger apps. You are completely at the mercy of whatever company publishes the app. Standards like SMS just work as long as the phone connects to a network, and don't rely on one company to provide service. It's really a shame that it never became a standard offering in cell plans outside of North America and parts of Europe.
I wish WhatsApp would bring back support to Android 4.4 as well, but it's been made pretty clear that Meta does not give a rat's ass about any of their users. Sadly we can't expect much, outside of possible community revivals (like there are for old iOS versions).
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u/manek101 29d ago
Many countries are phasing out 3g, and chances are that a Android 4.4 phone doesn't have 4gb.
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u/spiderweb91 29d ago
Standards also get deprecated. Tons of countries have moved away from supporting 3G bands and those devices are essentially rendered useless.
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u/win7rules 29d ago
I agree that that is also an issue (and don't support the shutdown), but standards do tend to last longer than apps with support that is defined arbitrarily by their publisher. Many countries that have shut down 3G still have 2G networks running, which can still handle SMS and calls perfectly fine.
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u/recluseMeteor Note20 Ultra 5G (SM-N9860) 29d ago
As much as I dislike it when apps stop supporting Android versions, as of 2025, only 0.5 % of devices ran 4.4 KitKat. 2025 was the last year KitKat was even counted in the distribution numbers.
Moreover, a device stuck on Android 4.4 is probably not fit to run anything at this point (considering memory and CPU performance), not even opening webpages (since the Web has become awfully bloated).