A: No. Any APK claiming to be "WhatsApp Top" or "WhatsApp Gold" is malware. The only legitimate version is the unmodified APK from WhatsApp.com or APKMirror.
Or, consider this: Use WhatsApp Web on your KitKat phone. Install the "Web Version" of WhatsApp via Firefox for Android (legacy) . You can't make calls, but you can text from your old device using your active session. whatsapp android 442 top
A: Only local backups. Google Drive restore requires Play Services version 11+, which is unstable on 4.4.2. Use the internal /sdcard/WhatsApp/Databases folder to transfer msgstore.db.crypt14 manually. A: No
A: Yes, but verification can be tricky. Install the APK, enter your number, and wait for the SMS. Do not use the "Call me" feature; it hangs on KitKat. A: Only local backups