After testing over 15 APK versions on a Samsung Galaxy S3 Neo (Android 4.4.2), here is the winning combo:
Meta (WhatsApp's parent company) periodically retires support for older hardware and software for several technical reasons: Security Standards: whatsapp android 442 top
While not officially supported, some users attempt the following: After testing over 15 APK versions on a
: Older versions lack critical security updates and may stop working entirely at any time if WhatsApp forces a server-side update. Third-party Mods whatsapp android 442 top