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How does the whatsapp application work


What is WhatsApp? | Digital Trends

Launched in 2009, WhatsApp is a free, multi-platform messaging app that lets users make video and voice calls, send text messages, share their status, and more with just a Wi-Fi connection. Part of what makes this app appealing is that it works on various phone and computer operating systems, so you can continue your conversation anytime, anywhere. It can also take advantage of Wi-Fi and cellular data to make one-on-one or group calls, reducing the need for expensive calling charges. If this sounds exciting so far, keep reading to find out everything you need to know about WhatsApp.

Contents

  • Free international calls
  • Easy chatting and calling over most platforms
  • Security
  • Global reach versus the competition
  • WhatsApp Mobile updates
  • Web version
  • Downsides of WhatsApp

Free international calls

WhatsApp uses your phone’s cellular or Wi-Fi connection to facilitate messaging and voice calling to nearly anyone on the planet, alone or in a group, and is especially nice for families and small collaborative workgroups. The app lets you make calls, send and receive messages, and share documents, photos, and videos. WhatsApp is completely free — with no fees or subscriptions — because it uses your phone’s 5G, 4G, 3G, 2G, EDGE, or Wi-Fi connection instead of your cell plan’s voice minutes or text plan. If you’re connected via Wi-Fi, it won’t eat into your data plan, either.

Easy chatting and calling over most platforms

WhatsApp is platform agnostic. You do not need to own the same brand of the phone as your call recipient or be on a specific platform — the app works with iPhone and Android phones and Mac or Windows desktop or laptop computers, which you can use to send and receive messages, but not make calls. Like any other SMS messenger, you can initiate a conversation with an individual or a group and video chat with up to eight people. The iOS version also has in-app support for video playback from both Instagram and Facebook. You can also share your location, broadcast your status to your contacts, share contacts, set customized wallpapers and notification alerts, email chat history, use the camera to shoot photos and videos from within the app, and simultaneously broadcast messages to multiple contacts. You are always logged in so you never miss messages, but even if you miss notifications while your phone is off, the app saves recent messages for when you re-open the app.

Like iMessage for the iPhone, WhatsApp has a simple interface that showcases your chats in text bubbles complete with a timestamp and notifies you when your recipient has viewed your text.

WhatsApp can identify people in your contact list who currently use the app, so you typically don’t have to add them manually. You can also invite people who don’t have WhatsApp or connect with other users you know but who aren’t on your contact list. WhatsApp lets you create work, friends, or family groups to communicate with up to 256 participants. The app also lets you change your background and send your GPS location to the group through an interactive map. Additionally, you can type in a status message or upload a photo in your status that will last up to 24 hours. It’s also quite adaptable, as you can block contacts from within the app or send a friend’s information to another user within the app.

The app has a search function that lets you search by keyword, group, contact name, or phone number. You can also search for keywords in a conversation. WhatsApp is interoperable with Google so that you can save a copy of your message history to Google Drive or, if you are not on Google, to your phone’s memory. Should you lose critical messages, you can redownload and reinstall the app to find your lost messages.

Security

WhatsApp has a number of advanced security features. It has end-to-end encryption, just like Apple’s iMessage and Signal. All messages flowing through the platform are secured so that only the sender and the recipient can view them. This means WhatsApp couldn’t read your message even if it wanted to. The app doesn’t store your personal information, and only people you approve as contacts can message you. As with an increasing number of internet services like Google and Facebook, WhatsApp uses two-factor authentication, which has you type in a second passcode sent to your phone via text message to access your account. Group messages can conflict with some privacy settings, however, in that if you have blocked someone, they can still appear in a group message that you can see.

Global reach versus the competition

WhatsApp says it serves more than 2 billion people in over 180 countries, with over a billion daily active users. WhatsApp Messenger is now the leading mobile messaging app in 169 countries — although perhaps surprisingly, it wasn’t as popular in the U.S., where Messenger was more frequently used. This seems to be changing now, as recent data shows WhatsApp topped the list of the most popular global mobile messaging apps in 2021. Currently, more than 100 billion messages are sent each day on WhatsApp, making it the most active messaging app in the world.

WhatsApp generally takes a broad approach to reach as many people as possible around the world. The app continues to dominate in India, Germany, Russia, and the U.K. However, despite its impressive stats, WhatsApp isn’t the only game in town. Among the app’s competitors are Signal, Telegram, Facebook Messenger, Skype, and even Twitter DMs.

WhatsApp Mobile updates

WhatsApp instituted new privacy settings in 2020 that gave users more control over group messages, particularly when it comes to who can add you to groups. Admins can send you a private invite via Settings > Account > Privacy > Groups. The app also added more privacy options for the status function. Now, there are three options available: Everyone, My Contacts, and My Contacts Except. My Contacts are restricted to people you have in your address book, and My Contacts Except offers even more control over which contacts can see your status. You can add or remove users from this My Contacts Except list for every status you update, thus giving you more privacy and control over the information you share on the app.

Additionally, now new call-waiting features let you choose to accept an incoming WhatsApp call while you’re on another call.

However, WhatsApp made a lot of headlines as it updated its privacy policy and terms of use after being acquired by Facebook. It was assumed this update would give WhatsApp the right to read user messages, but Niamh Sweeney, WhatsApp’s director of public policy for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, confirmed there were no changes to the app’s data-sharing policy.

Web version

WhatsApp Web is a desktop version of the mobile app that operates within standard Mac or Windows browsers (except Internet Explorer). But unfortunately, it doesn’t offer all the services available in the mobile app. Everything you do on the web will sync and show up on the iPhone or Android app so all of your chats get synced — and the web version now lets you make video calls, too. A business version lets companies access WhatsApp to interact with customers.

Downsides of WhatsApp

WhatsApp is a deeply useful service for people worldwide. We’ve found that one of the only issues that app users face is that they cannot communicate with friends and family who haven’t downloaded the app yet. WhatsApp only allows users with an account to chat with others within the platform. To fully benefit from the host of positives this app provides, you’ll have to convince the people in your life to join the WhatsApp circle. Once you’ve convinced everyone to join, you’ll find there are very few problems with the app.

It can be tough to convince others to join, especially if they already prefer messaging through other apps or platforms. If that’s the case, you may need to win them over with some of the other promising features from WhatsApp, like their “stories” and universal messaging. Unfortunately, the app doesn’t have any of the face or photo filters that are popular on competitor apps; that could be a downside for users who like mainstream messaging services.

WhatsApp doesn’t have a designated virtual assistant, either. The app also restricts users to a maximum file limit while messaging — you can’t send files, photos, or videos larger than 100MB and 16MB respectively. Fortunately, you can call other users for free, but if you are not on Wi-Fi, it can suck up data quickly. To stop those data charges from racking up, try to use WhatsApp only while on Wi-Fi. Finally, WhatsApp is not able to call 911 or any other emergency services. You will need a real cell phone plan for those emergency services.

Top WhatsApp updates

Certain WhatsApp features were finally introduced in other parts of the world in 2021. For instance, flash calls were made available in India. These calls allow users to verify their phone numbers via an automated call, as opposed to using the SMS facility while setting up or reinstalling WhatsApp. WhatsApp made these changes since they believe that it is a much safer option as all the actions are performed from the app itself.

Meanwhile, multidevice support was also introduced to WhatsApp. It essentially permits the usage of WhatsApp on up to four linked devices without linking them to a smartphone. Personal calls and messages will be linked across all devices, and messages can be sent using the WhatsApp desktop app or the web-based app. The disappearing messages feature has also been updated. The duration for disappearing messages now comes in three options — 24 hours, seven days, and 90 days. Users can turn on this feature for both individual and group chats on WhatsApp. They simply need to turn on the relevant chat, tap on the chat info, and then select Disappearing Messages. After these actions, they can switch on the feature and choose the necessary duration. However, the new feature is optional and does not delete any existing chats.

On August 16, 2021, WhatsApp rolled out a feature that allowed users to migrate their chat history from iOS to Android. Just a day later, another welcome change was introduced by the company on all its platforms. They began testing a large link feature that allows users to view a video preview or a page without clicking on the link. For example, when a friend sends us a YouTube video link, we can simply click on the link, and the video appears in the same WhatsApp chat section instead of taking users to another window. Additionally, a photo editing option for WhatsApp desktop was also introduced in November by the Meta-owned company. The option is also available for WhatsApp Web. Users are permitted to add text and stickers or crop and rotate their photos from any WhatsApp screen. Sticker suggestions also now appear in the chat, just like emoji suggestions. It encourages users to be more creative in their interactions.

Major redesigns were also introduced to two other aspects of the chat feature — voice notes and chat bubbles. The Meta-owned company was working on a feature that allowed users to see their voice waveforms in chat bubbles. Moreover, in October 2021, they released an updated version for beta users on the iOS platform that allowed users to view redesigned chat bubbles. The users could see rounder and larger chat bubbles when compared to the previous version. Additionally, one can preview their WhatsApp voice recordings. Previously, users could only cancel the recording without any option to preview it. This change is rather useful, as it can allow users to rehearse and improve their notes rather than testing the quality of their recorded notes but having no evidence to make rectifications. 

Besides these changes, WhatsApp has also increased the user limit for video and voice calls from four to eight. These calls would be end-to-end encrypted. The platform is expected to introduce several major updates in 2022, including the introduction of Instagram reels, as well as a Read Later option that could replace the archived chats feature. More details would be shared once these changes are widely available.

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How Does WhatsApp Work? (A Beginner’s Guide)

Chat with friends and family in no time flat

Messaging apps are basic communication tools that everyone is familiar with. They’re a great way to stay in touch with your family and friends across the world, as well as keep up professional communications with your work colleagues. 

While there are a great deal of options to choose from, WhatsApp holds a top position among other messaging clients. This messaging app is secure, easy to use, and comes with a number of handy features for your daily communication. Plus, most of your friends are probably already using it, so why choose a different messenger? 

Table of Contents

    If you’re still new to the app and trying to figure out your way around it, here’s how WhatsApp works and everything you need to know as a beginner. 

    How Does Whatsapp Work And Why Use It??

    WhatsApp is considered one of the best messaging apps for many reasons. For starters, it allows you to communicate with other people in more ways than one: Through chats, audio and video calls, and through exchanging media files and documents. You can use it on your phone, your computer, and tablet. The app is also highly customizable, so you can choose what your WhatsApp app and your chats look like. 

    Aside from all the basic features, WhatsApp has some impressive add-ons. Live location sharing can help you keep track of your loved ones and vice versa. The ability to “unsend” messages will save you some embarrassing accidental texts that you meant to send to a different person.

    Switching from one phone number to another without losing your data is a great feature for anyone trying to keep their professional and personal communications separate. 

    If you want all that as well as end-to-end encryption for the messages you exchange with other people, here’s how to install and start using WhatsApp. 

    How To Install WhatsApp

    Before you get started using WhatsApp, you need to head over to the official website and download the free app for your device: Android, or iOS. Then follow the steps. 

    1. Launch the app and click Agree And Continue after you read the privacy policy agreement.
    1. Enter your phone number and click Next. WhatsApp will send an SMS with a code and link that you can use to verify your phone number. 
    1. If you’ve used the app before, WhatsApp will offer you to restore your backup from Google Drive and access your saved contacts and media. 
    1. Once your number is verified, WhatsApp will ask you to fill in your profile info by providing them with your name and picture (optional). You can always change either of those later.

    How To Use WhatsApp 

    After you sign in with your phone number, you can start using WhatsApp to call and chat with other people. You can either import your entire contact list to the app or add contacts manually. 

    Use WhatsApp To Chat With People On Your Mobile 

    When you open the app for the first time, you won’t have any active chats. 

    To get started, click on the green chat bubble in the bottom right corner of your screen.  

    Then select a contact and go to your private chat with the person. 

    Start by typing a message, adding emojis or gifs, attaching a media file, or recording an audio message. 

    When you send a message, you’ll see a single gray tick next to the text. That means your message is sent. Two gray ticks indicate that the message was received. The ticks turning blue indicates the other person has read your message. The clock appearing next to your message instead of the ticks means your message has not been sent yet. 

    Use WhatsApp To Call Others From Your Smartphone

    One of the things that makes WhatsApp so appealing to users is the ability to use it for free unlimited calls. Since it uses the internet connection over cellular data, you can call internationally and not have to pay anything for it.

    Open a chat with the person you’d like to call, and click the phone icon in the top right corner of your chat window. If you want to start a video call, opt for the video camera icon instead. 

    If you’re calling a group instead of a single contact, you’ll get to select how many people can join in before you start the call. 

    Use WhatsApp On Your Computer

    You can access WhatsApp from your computer via the PC version of the app – WhatsApp Web. You can either do it from your browser or by downloading the PC client from the official WhatsApp website. Then follow the steps.

    1. Open WhatsApp on your phone. 
    2. Click the Menu or Settings icon in the top of your window. 
    3. Scan the QR code from your computer screen.

    WhatsApp will then automatically log into your account.

    How To Get The Most Out Of WhatsApp

    WhatsApp has much to offer outside the basic features that most people use. Here are some WhatsApp tips and tricks that will help you get the most out of the app.

    Set Up WhatsApp Groups

    WhatsApp allows you to create groups of up to 256 people to discuss anything you like. Whether it’s a secret birthday planning, or a family chat that you’ll use to share funny pictures and videos, setting up a WhatsApp group is a skill you need to learn early on. 

    Customize Your WhatsApp

    When you get tired of the standard look of the app, you can customize it to your liking. One way to do it is to use WhatsApp Dark Mode. To switch it on, go to Settings > Chats > Theme. Switch to Dark and click Ok. 

    In the same menu you’ll find an option to change your WhatsApp Wallpaper. You can choose to use one of the default options or add a custom chat wallpaper. 

    Use WhatsApp Without a Phone Number

    Your smartphone and your computer aren’t all the devices you can use WhatsApp on. Learn how WhatsApp works without a SIM and you’ll be able to install it on your tablet.  

    Take Your Online Communication To The Next Level

    WhatsApp is a great all-in-one communication tool that enables you to do many things within one app. If you’re looking to unlock even more options for communicating with your friends and family like exchanging quality pictures and videos with them, check out our quick guides on how to use Instagram and TikTok. 

    Do you use WhatsApp? What’s your favorite WhatsApp feature? Share your experience with us in the comments below. 

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    Anya is a freelance technology writer. Originally from Russia, she is currently a full-time Remote Worker and Digital Nomad. With a background in Journalism, Language Studies, and Technical Translation, Anya couldn't imagine her life and work without using modern technology on a daily basis. Always looking out for new ways to make her life and location-independent lifestyle easier, she hopes to share her experiences as a tech- and internet-addict through her writing. Read Anya's Full Bio

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    What is WhatsApp and how to use it on your phone/smartphone?

    WhatsApp is a messenger or instant messaging system between users using the Internet. Allows you to send text messages, various kinds of images, audio and video recordings, etc. Supported by multiple platforms, including popular ones like Android, Windows Mobile, Nokia Symbian, iOS, Windows, etc.

    The first launch of the application took place back in 2009year. It is claimed that by April 2012, WhatsApp users were sending more than 2 billion messages daily, and by August of that year, the figure reached 10 billion.

    Unfortunately, the exact number of WhatsApp users is not disclosed, but, according to some reports, in the spring of 2016, more than 1 billion users used the application! Agree, the figure is impressive.

    It is believed that the emergence of instant messengers like WhatsApp or Viber has had a very negative impact on the profits of mobile operators around the world. Thus, their losses due to the fact that users use SMS messages less and less, amount to tens or even hundreds of billions of US dollars. However, telecom operators began to offer tariff packages with mobile traffic, which partly compensated for the loss of funds.

    Interestingly, until the beginning of 2016, WhatsApp was paid. True, the cost can be called symbolic - 1 US dollar per year, starting from the second year of connection. It is difficult to say why the messenger was paid, because it is unlikely that the creators tried to make money on it in this way. Whatever it was, now WhatsApp is free, as well as most other well-known instant messengers.

    WhatsApp has been and is often criticized for security algorithms, including encryption. So, it is alleged that, for example, until August 2012, messages were sent without encryption, as a result of which they could be intercepted. Despite this, WhatsApp is still one of the most popular instant messengers in the world.

    It's very simple. First you need to download the app on your smartphone. How to do this, we described in detail earlier.

    After installation, you need to launch WhatsApp and go through a quick registration. The peculiarity of the application is that the number of the user's mobile device is used as a login, and the application receives access to the phone book automatically. By going to WhatsApp contacts, you will immediately see the friends who use the application, after which you can start chatting with them.

    How does communication work? You can send messages or call them directly. There is no charge for this, except for mobile traffic.

    You can also use group chats that bring together several users at once, leave voice messages, send images or videos, etc.

    All this is so easy to do that you will immediately understand where and which buttons to press. That's what WhatsApp is good for.

    How WhatsApp Web works, or How to use WhatsApp on a computer

    Despite the popularity of WhatsApp, this is a very non-universal messenger. Unlike Telegram, WhatsApp cannot work simultaneously on several devices. Or rather, maybe, but with a number of significant reservations. The reason for this, as it turned out, was a problem in the message synchronization mechanism. That is, WhatsApp is not able to track progress from one device to another if they are both offline at that time. In short, game. Nevertheless, the messenger has a web version, but it works far from being as obvious as it might seem.

    WhatsApp Web can be run in a browser on any computer

    WhatsApp told how to understand that you have been blocked

    browser power and is intended exclusively for desktop devices. In other words, for computers. Because running it on a smartphone in normal mode will not work. You can read more about this in this article.

    How to transfer WhatsApp to a computer

    Since WhatsApp is able to work on several devices at once, it is rather conditional, so that connect to WhatsApp Web , you will need a smartphone. Even though the developers claim that they have canceled the binding of the web version to the mobile one, technically it is still there. True, now the device is needed not to maintain the messenger on the computer, but for authorization. But what does it change?

    • Go to web.whatsapp.com from your computer;

    You can only connect to WhatsApp Web using your smartphone

    • Open WhatsApp on your Android or iOS phone;
    • Press "Menu" or "Settings" and open the QR code scanner;

    You still won't be able to connect without a smartphone

    • Point your phone at the screen and read the QR code;
    • Confirm linking the device to your account and scan the QR code on the PC screen again if required.

    You definitely believed it! Collected the 10 most popular myths about WhatsApp

    If before it was necessary that the smartphone always remain in line of sight from the computer running WhatsApp Web , now it is in the past. WhatsApp from the phone is no longer relayed to the computer, but is needed simply for pairing. It became more convenient. But the authorization procedure will have to be performed every time after logging out of WhatsApp Web .

    Since all messages in WhatsApp Web no longer pass through your smartphone, then the traffic will not be consumed, regardless of the amount of data transmitted or received through the desktop version of the messenger. Therefore, it makes no difference how connects to WhatsApp Web : via LTE or Wi-Fi. But keep in mind that when using cellular networks, the load will fall on the mobile Internet, which for most users is not unlimited.

    How to disable WhatsApp Web

    If you don't want use whatsapp in browser , you can download whatsapp version for computer from this link. It installs like a normal application. But fundamentally, the experience of use will not change this. The desktop version of WhatsApp , like the browser version, requires pairing with a smartphone for the first access, although it has ceased to serve as a kind of hub.

    You also need to disconnect WhatsApp Web from computer correctly. That is, just close the browser tab and leave will not work. If you do this, the messenger will remain open and anyone who can access this computer - especially if it is not your personal one - will be able to access the contents of your WhatsApp. Therefore, you need to act strictly according to the instructions:

    How to send photos and videos to WhatsApp without quality loss

    • Open WhatsApp Web in a computer browser;
    • Wait for its contents to load;

    You no longer need a smartphone to log out of WhatsApp Web

    • In the upper left corner, click on the three dots;
    • In the drop-down box, click "Exit" and confirm the exit.

    Only after that the device will be unlinked from your account, and Whatsapp web version will stop working on the computer. From now on, if you want to access the messenger on the desktop, will have to connect to WhatsApp Web again, following the instructions presented above. It may not be as convenient, but it is much more secure.

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    • Android beginners
    • Android Apps

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