Maintaining support for older versions of Android means additional resources for developers, which do not always pay off. As a consequence, as new versions of Android advance, support for old versions is periodically removed. WhatsApp will make that readjustment on November 1, when Android 4.0.4 or lower support will be removed.
The current version of WhatsApp on Google Play already has a minimum requirement of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean or higher, but the application continues to work and is still supported on Android 4.0.4. Not for long, the support will end exactly on November 1, at which point WhatsApp for this version of Android will be left to its own devices.
WhatsApp for Jelly Bean at least
Google ended support for Google Play Services for Android Ice Cream Sandwich in 2020, although WhatsApp doesn’t really need these services to work. That is to say, WhatsApp still works today on Android 4.0.4, a version of Android from 2012.
Precisely, Android 4.0.4 has been the minimum version required to use WhatsApp until this year, when the application has raised its minimum requirements on Android a small step. Now, the minimum you need is Android 4.1 to be able to use WhatsApp, as specified by the application on its frequently asked questions page.
Not only that, but it is indicated that as of November 1, 2021, WhatsApp will no longer be compatible with Android 4.0.4 and earlier. This could be interpreted in two ways: that it does not work directly or that it is left to its own devices, so that it would continue to work until it stops.
Google has long since stopped reporting on the distribution of Android, although the latest official data – from more than a year ago – placed Ice Cream Sandwich below 0.2% of the total, a figure that should be even lower a year later. If you still use WhatsApp in this version, it is recommended that you upgrade to a mobile with a more recent version or, at least, export your chats.