Whilst there's nothing wrong with using text messages and phone calls to keep in touch, many people now use WhatsApp to send messages and make calls. It's an easy way to stay connected with loved ones and to send and receive photos and videos.
You can download WhatsApp to your smartphone. If you have an iPhone, then you'll need to use the App Store, and if you have an Android phone or tablet then it's the Play Store. It doesn't cost anything to download WhatsApp.
Read our guide to downloading apps for more information.
You can use WhatsApp on your computer or tablet (known as WhatsApp Web), but you need to have WhatsApp on your phone first to connect it up. And you can't video or audio call on WhatsApp Web.
Download WhatsApp Web here.
WhatsApp is free to download from the App Store or Play Store. It uses your phone's internet connection and allows you to send unlimited messages, pictures and videos, so you don't need to worry about using up your allocated text or call allowances.
However, you may end up being charged extra if you go over your data allowance, so it's a good idea to connect to Wi-Fi if you're using WhatsApp for things that use a lot of data, like video calls or downloading videos.
You can check on how much data you are using through WhatsApp:
WhatsApp is simple to use once you get the hang of it. It's a messaging app, so it works in a similar way to texting. This video shows you how to get started on WhatsApp, including how to add contacts from your phone.
How to send messages on WhatsApp:
There are extra features you can use, like sending photos:
Sharing photos can be a great way to feel closer to people, even when you're not able to meet up.
You can also use WhatsApp to make phone calls. Using WhatsApp will mean that you don’t use up your allocated minutes in your phone contract, and because it uses the internet, you can even call people who live abroad at no extra cost.
How to make a phone call:
Remember: Make sure you are connected to a wireless internet network (Wi-Fi) before doing a phone call, otherwise you may incur additional charges from your mobile phone network if you aren't connected to Wi-Fi.
Video calling can be a nicer way of chatting with others than just a phone call, because it lets you see the person you're talking to, and them see you.
How to make a video call on WhatsApp:
Remember: Make sure you are connected to a wireless internet network (Wi-Fi) before doing a video call. Video calling uses a lot of data and could result in additional charges from your mobile phone network if you aren't connected to Wi-Fi.
You can message multiple people at once in a WhatsApp group. This is really handy if you want to chat with a few family members, neighbours, or members of a club or group.
Someone you know might add you to a WhatsApp group if they have your number, or you can set up your own group:
Your messages and calls are automatically protected by something called 'end-to-end encryption'. This means that only you and the person you're chatting with can read what is sent.
But as with everything online, there are risks to be aware of, including scams, viruses and misinformation. Here are some tips for staying safe using WhatsApp:
These could contain viruses or take you to fake websites that are set up by scammers to get your personal or financial information.
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We've put together some handy sheets that you can download and print off to help you get to grips with your computer or device:
Staying safe online
Making the most of your device
Sending and receiving emails
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1. Download and launch the app: Download WhatsApp Messenger for free from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store. To open the app, tap the WhatsApp icon on your home screen.
2. Review the Terms of Service: Read the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, then tap Agree and Continue to accept the terms.
3. Register: Select your country from the drop-down list to add your country code, then enter your phone number in international phone number format.
Tap Done or Next, then tap Ok to receive your 6-digit registration code via SMS or phone call. To complete registration, enter your 6-digit code. Learn how to register your phone number on Android, iPhone, or KaiOS.
4. Set up your profile: In your new profile, enter your name, and then tap Next. You can also add a profile photo.
5. Allow access to contacts and photos: Contacts can be added to WhatsApp from your phone’s address book. You can also allow access to your phone’s photos, videos, and files.
6. Start a chat: Tap or , then search for a contact to begin. Enter a message in the text field. To send photos or videos, tap or next to the text field. Choose Camera to take a new photo or video or Gallery or Photo and Video Library to select an existing photo or video from your phone. Then, tap or .
7. Create a group: You can create a group with up to 256 participants. Tap or , then New group.
Search for or select contacts to add to the group, then tap Next. Enter a group subject and tap or Create.
Customize privacy and security features
WhatsApp makes it simple to understand and customize your privacy and security.
Learn more on our privacy page.
Fact-check the information you receive
Consider whether the messages you receive are true, because not everything you hear will be accurate. If you don’t know who sent the message you received, we encourage you to double-check information with trusted fact-checking organizations. Learn more about how to prevent the spread of misinformation in this article.
Forwarded messages
To help prevent the spread of misinformation, we limit how you can forward messages. You can easily identify forwarded messages because they have a Forwarded label. When a message is forwarded from one user to another user many times, it’s indicated with a double arrow icon . You can learn about forwarding limits in this article.
WhatsApp is one of the most popular instant messengers in the world. More and more tools and features regularly appear in it, but not all of them are well known.
Here is a list of 12 WhatsApp features you may not have known about.
Daria Sidorova
WhatsApp messages can be personalized by making the font bold, italic or strikethrough. To do this, just put a couple of characters before and after the text:
This feature deletes messages after a while, helping to protect valuable information. Here's how to turn it on.
To avoid losing an important message, you can add it to Favorites. To do this, hold your finger on it, and then click on the star.
To find out when a recipient has read a message, tap and slide your finger to the left. This data can also be found in the menu marked with three dots under Data. In both cases, you will see at what time the message was sent, received and read.
WhatsApp photos and videos often clog up your phone's memory. Luckily, you can turn off automatic downloads. Go to "Settings" and select "Chats". In this section, disable the Media Visibility option.
WhatsApp offers the option to hide the last time you logged into the app. To do this, open Settings and select Account. Then go to "Privacy" and disable "Is been".
You can also keep this option enabled for multiple contacts. For security reasons, it is better to show the last visit time to at least one user. nine0003
This feature reminds you to reply to the other party. Just press and hold the chat for a couple of seconds and then select the "Mark as unread" option.
This tool allows you to see which contacts you interact with the most and manage your internal storage. To do this, go to "Settings", select "Data and storage" and "Manage storage". nine0003
This trick allows you to listen to a voice message before sending it. Start recording audio, and when you want to end it, exit the app while holding down the record button. When you return to the correspondence, you will find that the message has been saved. Now it can be listened to, sent or deleted.
This option allows you to set personalized ringtones for individual contacts. Just go to the chat with the right person and click on his name. Open the Custom Notifications section and select the desired ringtone. nine0003
This feature allows you to set a background for each chat. These can be both images and themes for dark and light mode. To do this, simply go to "Settings" and then select "Chats". In the "Wallpapers" section you will find all the available images.
Beta testers are among the first to try new features of the app. To join them, follow the link and follow the instructions. nine0003
Source: Entrepreneur.com
Cover photo: Temitiman / Shutterstock
Despite the fact that the work of WhatsApp in Russia was not restricted by anyone, after the blocking of Instagram and Facebook, the messenger increasingly began to experience problems with authorization.
Users complain that they cannot log into their account because WhatsApp does not send a message with the verification code . This is how he writes:0012 Failed to send SMS to the number you specified . Why is unclear. After all, this happens today almost every second, and only a few manage to find the cause of the failure, and even more so to eliminate it. It's good that you have us and we know what to do in such situations.
Whatsapp does not send authorization code? There is a solution, and more than one
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WhatsApp authorization failure , as a rule, occurs when you try to log in to your account for the first time on a new device.
The user enters their phone number for verification, but the smartphone - and, judging by the reviews, this happens regardless of the platform used - gives an error, explaining in this way, why does not receive SMS from WhatsApp .
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No, of course, WhatsApp does not leave you completely without explanations and further instructions. The messenger writes that in an hour it will be possible to try again. However, as my personal experience has shown, if you encounter a failure, then not in an hour, not in two, or even the next day, the problem will not disappear, and WhatsApp will not send you SMS with authorization code .
There are several ways to solve the problem with authorization in WhatsApp
WhatsApp developers know that messenger users regularly experience such problems, so we have prepared several recommendations in advance that you need to follow if you do not receive a code with SMS from WhatsApp :
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Make sure you don't make a mistake in the number, enter the correct country code, because WhatsApp often substitutes the +1 code instead of +7, as it is necessary for Russia. 
nine0014 However, if the recommendations described above do not help, this does not mean that the solutions to the problem have been exhausted. Actually it is not. There are at least two options that will help you log in to WhatsApp on iPhone in most cases. And, if you have Android, and you cannot log in to WhatsApp, read this article - everything is there.
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First of all, try enabling the VPN.
Strange thing: WhatsApp in Russia is not restricted by anyone, but for some unknown reason, SMS with authorization codes may not reach users if they are in the country. In such cases, it is better to use the lock bypass service. For example, I use Planet VPN.
Install VPN. He will probably decide everything
Download Planet VPN
It doesn't matter which VPN you choose . If you need a free service, Planet VPN is the best choice. You do not need to pay anything for it, and it is also completely unlimited, although it cuts the download speed. But after all for authorization it does not play any role. However, if you don't trust this service or have your own in mind, use it.
nine0003
does not arrive Few people pay attention to this, at the authorization stage WhatsApp allows not only to confirm the entry by SMS , but also by call. In this case, the bot will call you and dictate the authorization code aloud. It is a one-time use, so it does not make sense to write it down for all subsequent logins, as it will not be applicable.
For the life of me, I couldn't provoke this bug on iOS
If you've already signed in to WhatsApp on your iPhone before and saved your credentials to Keychain Access, you may not need to re-enter the code. Then authorization will take place automatically, without requiring additional verification.
