WhatsApp no longer supports older versions of iOS 10.3.4

WhatsApp requires iOS 12 or later. If you have an iPhone 5, as stated in your post, it can be updated to iOS 10.3.4, and not further. Unfortunately, there is no way to change this, as it is the developer who decides which iOS version the app works on.

The solution is a new iPhone. iPhone 5S and iPhone 6 can be updated to iOS 12.5.7 so they would be able to use WhatsApp, but I would recommend finding a newer model as iOS 12.5.7 could easily be the next version that WhatsApp does not support.

Here is an overview of all iPhones and their available iOS versions:

• iPhone 3G can be updates to: iOS 4.2.1
• iPhone 3GS can be updated to: iOS 6.1.6
• iPhone 4 can be updated to: iOS 7.1.2
• iPhone 4S can be updated to: iOS 9.3.6
• iPhone 5/5C can be updated to: iOS 10.3.4
• iPhone 5S/6 can be updated to: iOS 12.5.7
• iPhone 6S/7/SE 1.Gen can be updated to iOS 15.7.3
• iPhone 8 or newer can be updated to: iOS 16.3.1

Your iPhone cannot update to iOS 11 or later due to your internal hardware being too old to support it. (Your iPhone 5 is 32-bit and iOS 11 requires 64-bit devices)

The last software update for your iPhone is iOS 10.3.4, released July 2019.

App developers dropped support for 32-bit devices and those preceding iOS 11/12/13 in the apps, making your iPhone limited in usability.

The iPhone 5 is over a decade old.

iPhone 8 and later models are capable of supporting iOS 16.

You may consider buying a new iPhone. Even the entry-level iPhone SE can run the latest iOS version, iOS 16.3.1.

Here is a list of unsupported iPhones with max iOS supported:

Model            Architecture  Introduced       Max supported iOS
iPhone (1st)     32-bit        June 2007        iOS 3.1.3
iPhone 3G        32-bit        July 2008        iOS 4.2.1
iPhone 3GS       32-bit        June 2009        iOS 6.1.6
iPhone 4         32-bit        June 2010        iOS 7.1.2
iPhone 4S        32-bit        October 2011     iOS 9.3.6
iPhone 5         32-bit        September 2012   iOS 10.3.4 <- Your iPhone model
iPhone 5C        32-bit        September 2013   iOS 10.3.3
iPhone 5S        64-bit        September 2013   iOS 12.5.7
iPhone 6         64-bit        September 2014   iOS 12.5.7
iPhone 6 Plus    64-bit        September 2014   iOS 12.5.7
iPhone 6S        64-bit        September 2015   iOS 15.7.3
iPhone 6S Plus   64-bit        September 2015   iOS 15.7.3
iPhone SE (1st)  64-bit        March 2016       iOS 15.7.3
iPhone 7         64-bit        September 2016   iOS 15.7.3
iPhone 7 Plus    64-bit        September 2016   iOS 15.7.3