Uh oh!

Millions of users of popular instant

messaging platform WhatsApp will no longer have the service at their disposal

as the company ends all support for older smartphone operating systems (OS).

The ban comes into effect on Saturday, February 1, 2020.

According to a statement from the Facebook-owned company on , any iPhone running iOS 7 or older will no longer access WhatsApp. The digital ban also applies to all Android devices running version 2.3.7 or older.its FAQ page

“You’ll no longer be able to use all

Windows Phone operating systems after December 31, 2019, and WhatsApp might not

be available in the Microsoft Store after July 1, 2019,” WhatsApp added.

The withdrawal of support from WhatsApp

effectively means that come February, users won’t be able to create new

accounts or reverify existing accounts.

Put simply, WhatsApp is cutting its services as it advances security and technological measures – and it was bound to happen since much older phones would not be supported by the messaging platform ‘forever’.

Well, BUZZ fam, if you have an old phone lying around, you might want to reconsider its usefulness in the new year.