Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
WhatsApp boasts more than 2 billion users worldwide, but if you don’t live in one of the countries where it’s popular, you may have never used it. Its $16 billion purchase by Facebook in 2014 turned some heads (and raised some privacy concerns), but it still offers many advantages over its competitors. If those two reasons aren’t enough to convince you to learn how to use WhatsApp today, perhaps the fact that it’s completely free of charge will seal the deal.
Read also: 21 essential WhatsApp tricks and tips you should know
If you’re new to the party, the world’s most popular chat app can be a bit overwhelming. To help you get started, we put together this beginner’s guide on using WhatsApp, from installing the app to chatting with friends and family in groups.
WhatsApp is a free chat app that launched at the dawn of the smartphone era in 2009. It wasn’t until 2015 that it became the most popular communication app worldwide, but nowadays, it’s virtually ubiquitous in most of Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East.
Read also: WhatsApp not working? Here are 5 easy fixes to try
The popularity of WhatsApp is because it’s free, it doesn’t have ads, and of course, it has a huge existing user base. It also features end-to-end encryption, so your messages are private and secure. However, security policy changes in early 2021 mean the app can share some of your data with Facebook. Learn more about that issue in our WhatsApp privacy explainer.
Dhruv Bhutani / Android Authority
With every message and call end-to-end encrypted by default, WhatsApp is quite secure for virtually all uses. This level of encryption means that not even WhatsApp (or its parent company Facebook) can see the content of your messages, despite what you might hear online.
Still, you should be wary of phishing attempts.
Never give your personal information to someone you don’t know, and don’t be afraid to block or report users you think are trying to scam you. WhatsApp also supports two-step verification in the form of a six-digit PIN.
Read also: How to backup WhatsApp: never lose a message again
When it comes to privacy, things are more complicated. An early 2021 privacy policy update stated that WhatsApp might share some of your data with Facebook. This will include your telephone number, location, product interactions, etc. Presumably, this is to improve ad targeting in other Facebook products.
This update was the subject of much debate among users but ultimately rolled out on May 15, 2021. Later in 2021, it was revealed that although WhatsApp cannot see your messages, the company regularly uses contractors to do so as part of a content reviewal system. This is limited to extreme cases of child abuse material or terrorism, but it does fly in the face of WhatsApp’s marketing material.
In other words, if you are concerned with your privacy and don’t want Facebook to access some of your data, WhatsApp might not be for you. Other apps like Telegram and Signal offer better security but don’t boast nearly the same number of users.
The first step in learning how to use WhatsApp is installing the app, and you can do it in just a few minutes. The app is completely free and only requires a phone number and a mobile device to sign up.
That’s all there is to it. You’re now ready to start chatting with any of your contacts that have WhatsApp installed.
You can also manually add contacts to WhatsApp if you don’t want to import your entire contact list.
Before you start chatting, there is one more step you may want to take. Creating a profile will help your contacts know who you are, even if they don’t have your number saved in their contacts. You can add a picture, name, and a short bio.
You can also change your phone number from this screen, and the process is the same as when you first set up your account. It will send a verification code via SMS, and once confirmed, WhatsApp will transfer all of your chats and contacts to that number.
Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
Now that your profile is set, it’s time to get to the task at hand: chatting! The first time you open the app, you won’t have any chats open, but you can start a new conversation by tapping on the chat bubble in the bottom right.
Select the contact you want to chat with from the list. If you already have a previous chat with that contact, it will open that instead of a brand new chat. All that’s left is to type your message at the bottom of the screen. After entering your text, tap the arrow icon alongside the text box to send it.
You can also send pictures or files on WhatsApp by tapping the + icon next to the chatbox. WhatsApp has a built-in camera app, but it’s better to use your normal camera app to take the picture and select it in the gallery to send. This will give you more editing options and generally results in higher-quality photos.
You can also send pictures or files on WhatsApp by tapping the paperclip or camera icon.
To start a group chat, tap the same chat bubble as before, then tap New Group. You can then select the members you want to invite, enter a name for the group, and start chatting.
There are many additional features available, so check out our list of WhatsApp tips and tricks for more information.
Sending gifs on WhatsApp should be a simple task, but the exact steps are far from obvious. To make matters worse, they differ between iPhones and Android phones.
To send a gif on Android, you first need to open a chat and tap on the smiley face next to the text box. Then, tap the gif text at the bottom of the screen to see a selection of the current most popular gifs. To search for more gifs, tap the magnifying glass at the bottom left and enter your keywords. Once you’ve found and selected your gif, all that’s left is to press send.
It’s worth noting that the process may be easier depending on which brand of phone you have or if you have a different keyboard installed.
Often you can tap the gif text above the keyboard instead of the complicated process above.
Read also: 10 best gif creator and editor apps for Android
Mark O'Neill / Android Authority
To send a gif on an iPhone, open a chat and tap the plus icon in the bottom left. Then, select Photo and Video Library from the menu and tap the magnifying glass icon in the bottom left to search. Once selected, tap send.
Mark O'Neill / Android Authority
One of the most useful features when using WhatsApp internationally is the ability to make phone calls. Unlike standard international voice calls, WhatsApp calls use your internet connection rather than your phone line, so they’re completely free (barring any data overage charges when not on Wi-Fi).
To start a phone call on WhatsApp, all you need to do is open a chat window and tap the phone icon in the top right. If it’s a group, you can even select multiple people to call simultaneously.
The steps for making a video call on WhatsApp are virtually identical. Just tap the video camera icon next to the phone icon. It’s a great alternative to FaceTime, especially for Android users.
If you prefer typing on a keyboard (or don’t like looking at your phone all day), you can also use WhatsApp from a computer. You’ll need to keep your phone nearby, but it can be a convenient way to chat or send files from your PC or Mac.
If you don’t want to use a browser, you can also install the WhatsApp PC client directly on your computer. If you think someone is using WhatsApp Web without your permission, you can remove access from your phone by following the first two steps above.
With iPadOS adding lots of new features every year that make it more and more like a computer, it might come as a surprise to learn that using WhatsApp on your iPad is quite difficult. You can install the app directly, but you have to remove it from your phone, which obviously isn’t ideal.
Read also: Apple iPad at 10: A decade of tablets
To use WhatsApp on your iPad, you need to use the web portal outlined above. Even then, there’s an extra step involved due to accessing the site from a mobile browser.
The trick here is to request the desktop version of web.whatsapp.com. This will tell WhatsApp that you’re using a computer instead of a mobile device and allow you to connect your phone with the same steps above. How exactly you request the desktop version will depend on which browser you’re using, but we’ve outlined the steps for Safari below.
whatsapp.com.Note that this trick works with Android tablets and iPads of all sizes, and they can be paired with both Android phones and iPhones in any combination.
Android users who are signed up for the beta program can also now use a test version of WhatsApp for Android tablets. If you are not in the beta program, you can get the APK file from a third-party source. There’s no word yet on when the tablet version will be rolled out for the iPad.
Both calls and video calls are free, but will use data if not connected to Wi-Fi. Be careful not to exceed your mobile data limits, especially with video calls.
WhatsApp Plus is an application developed using stolen code from the official WhatsApp app. It enables a few extra features, but needs to be downloaded and sideloaded to work. It is unsafe to use and may lead to your WhatsApp account being banned, or worse, your information being stolen.
Yes, WhatsApp was purchased by Facebook in February of 2014.
While some could consider it a social media app, it’s generally considered an instant messaging or communication app. As more business features are added, it may tip further into social media territory.
Yes. Both calls and messages are encrypted end-to-end, so in most conditions, neither law enforcement nor WhatsApp itself can see them unless they have access to your device.
Your WhatsApp status is pretty much the same as your Instagram, Facebook, or Snapchat story: a way to share a slice of your life with your contacts. You can learn more about WhatsApp statuses here.
WhatsApp is a popular smartphone messaging service that allows you to connect with other WhatsApp users to send messages and make calls.
There is no limit to the length of messages you can send through WhatsApp, and you can set up group conversations to chat with multiple people at once, as well as send pictures and videos through the app.
What you’ll learn in this guide:
Installing WhatsApp
1. Go to the app or play store on your phone. Type ‘WhatsApp’ into the search bar. This will bring up the WhatsApp Messenger app, which is free to download.
2. Tap on ‘Install’ and then ‘Accept’ to give WhatsApp the permissions it requires to run. This will automatically start the download process. Note that depending on which connection you use to download the app, this may incur data charges.
3. Once the download is complete, tap on ‘Open’ to open up the app.
4. You will be prompted to agree to the Terms of Service. Accept this to move on to the next stage.
5. You now need to verify your phone number. Input your mobile number and tap ‘Next’. You will be asked to confirm that this is the number you want to verify, so if you’ve made any mistakes, you can go back and correct them. You will then be sent a text with a 6 digit verification code. WhatsApp should automatically detect this and verify your number, but if not, simply type in the code you’ve been sent.
6. Finally, type in the name you would like to use on your profile. You can also add a photo if you want by tapping on the icon of a camera and uploading an image from your phone.
7. That’s it! WhatsApp is installed and you can now start setting it up. You’ll need to invite any contacts you want to connect with and then you can start sending and receiving messages.
You can set up group chats to talk to multiple people at once, as well as send photos. You can backup your messages to the Cloud and archive any conversations you don’t want to see in your chat list.
You can also customise your notifications and change your privacy settings to control who can see what. You can learn how to do all this by checking out our simple guide to using WhatsApp.
Now you know how to find and install WhatsApp on an iPhone and Android. You can go through the registration process so that WhatsApp is ready for you to use and customise.
After you’ve installed WhatsApp, you might want to give yourself more options to contact your friends and family. You can set up an email account on your phone to connect to your emails, as well as video message or use FaceTime to utilise all of your smartphone’s features.
Check out our Next Steps links below for more Android and iPhone guides.
Last update 24 May 2022
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WhatsApp is one of the top messengers. But in order to start using it, you first need to carry out the correct installation. How and where to do it if you have Android or iOS? Is it necessary to use the official app stores of mobile operating systems for this? nine0003
Owners of Androids version not lower than 4.0.3 or iPhone users with iOS 7 and higher can use WhatsApp. If you have an iPhone 3GS, WhatsApp will not work on your phone.
The classic version of installing WhatsApp on Android is through the official Google Play Market software store:
nine0010 In the dialog box, allow the messenger to use contacts, camera and other components. Wait for the store to download and then put WhatsApp on your smartphone. As a result, two buttons will appear - "Delete" and "Open". Click on the second - green.
Click the "Open" button to launch the applicationAccept the terms of use of the messenger - click on the button below the picture.
Click on the button at the bottom of the application windowClick on the country list menu if your number is not Russian. Select a country from the list. Enter your phone number - "sim card", which is now inserted into the device. Tap on "Next".
Write your number in the field Check that you entered the number correctly. If yes, click OK. If not, click on "Change" and re-enter the combination of numbers, only more carefully.
You will be sent a "sms" with an arbitrary set of 6 digits. Drive it into the field. nine0003 Write the 6-digit code received via SMS
In a minute you will have a second attempt to request. If SMS did not come, click on "Send again" or on "Call me". In the second case, a call will come to your number - answer it.
Receive a call from the service answering machineThe answering machine will tell you a number code several times. Memorize it or write it down. Enter the combination in the field. If necessary, click on the checkmark on the keyboard at the bottom right. Wait for the messenger to check the code. If you successfully activate your account using your phone number, the "Profile" page will open. Enter your name here (you can use emoticons optionally). Click on the circle to the left of the field and select a photo - the avatar of your profile in WhatsApp. Click on "Next". nine0003 Enter the name of the profile and put an avatar on the account
Wait until the initialization is completed.
Set up, if necessary, backing up your correspondence to Google drive - click on "Finish". As a result, you will see the working interface of the messenger: tabs for dialogs and calls. To write a message to someone, click on "Start a chat", select the desired contact from the list. Type text in the field and send.
If you want to receive notifications from the messenger about new messages:
If you have an iPhone, proceed to the following steps:
nine0010 Instead of a cloud, there can be a simple “Download” button.
Click on "Download" to start the installationWait while the messenger downloads and installs. When the procedure is complete, click on "Open". Select a country in the first menu and enter your number. Click "Finish" at the top right. An SMS will be sent to the number with a combination of numbers - write it in the field. Or click on the line "Call" if the "sms" did not come - you will be dictated a new code when you pick up the phone. nine0003 Enter the code that you received via SMS from the service
You can avoid activation if you previously had WhatsApp installed on this iPhone and you have an iCloud backup of your profile. Restore the account through a copy - the old correspondence should appear.
You can restore old dialogs and profile data from iCloud After activation, contacts from your phone book will already be in the messenger.
Change some profile settings: go to the program settings (gear on the bottom panel). Click on the profile menu and enter your name or nickname. Click on the "Edit" link. Click on "Take a photo" (to take a photo of yourself now) or on "Select photo" to see a gallery of past photos. nine0003 Set a profile picture, if needed, so that other users can recognize you
Click on the status at the bottom of the "Profile" section, or go directly to the first "Status" section on the bottom panel. Write a message that will be visible to all users. For example, that you are currently busy or ready to receive messages. In the "Notifications" section, allow the messenger to send you messages if someone writes to you.
Turn on notifications to be notified of new messages If the installation through the Play Market fails or if you do not have Internet on your phone now, manually download the WhatsApp installation file with the apk extension.
Then just open it and run the installation:
The download notification should be in the "shutter". Swipe down once across the screen to reveal it. Click on the downloaded file.
Expand the "curtain" and open the fileIf there is no notification, open any file manager on your phone, for example, "ES Explorer". Go to the "Downloads" section.
The file must also be in the "Downloads" folder on the built-in storage deviceClick on the apk file.
Open the file in DownloadsClick Install or Google Play. In the second case, the installation will take place using the official store. nine0003 Tap "Install" in the dialog box
Tap "Next" until you reach the end of the page.
Read the information and click on "Next" Click on "Install".
Wait for the installation to complete successfully.
We are waiting for the program to be installed on the smartphoneIf a message from "Explorer" appears, click on "Allow".
Click on "Allow" if an additional window appearsAs a result, you will receive a message that the installation is complete. Click on "Open" and follow the steps to activate the WhatsApp profile described in the instructions in the "For Android phones - go to the Play Store" section in this article. nine0003 Click the "Open" button to launch the messenger
The manual installation method using the apk file is suitable for "Androids". Things are more complicated with the iPhone: there is no WhatsApp installation file for Apple phones on the messenger's official website.
There is no installation file for the program on iPhone on the official website of the messenger It is possible to download the document from other sources (they must be reliable).
For iOS, the file will already have the ipa extension. Then you can start the installation after the “jailbreak” (unlocking the “iPhone”, which is highly recommended without special need). Or start installing the application through a PC on Mac OS - through a third-party application installed on the computer, for example, Cydia Impactor or Xcode. nine0003 The program can be installed through an ipa file using a third-party program Cydia Impactor
You can install WhatsApp from the Play Market or through an apk file on Android. The first method is faster - no need to go to the messenger website and download the installer manually. The store will do it for you. If you have an iPhone, go to the App Store for a messenger. After installation, the program needs to be configured a little: go through activation by phone number, put an avatar and profile name. nine0003
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Politics, as well as international restrictions, affect ordinary Internet users, even if they consider themselves completely apolitical.
For example, iPhone owners in Russia can no longer use Apple Pay and buy apps from the App Store. In the summer of 2022, the situation reached the point where users from the Russian Federation could not download the distribution package of the WhatsApp messenger for Windows and Mac. The most absurd thing is that the web version of the messenger works great in Russia.
According to experts, the inability to download the WhatsApp client may be due to the blocking by Roskomnadzor of certain elements of the Meta infrastructure (the organization is recognized as extremist in Russia).
In other words, the service responsible for WhatsApp updates was blocked in Russia.
Despite strange restrictions, WhatsApp remains available for users from Russia. Now the application cannot be downloaded from the official site, but it is available in the Windows Store. WhatsApp also has an excellent online client, comparable in functionality to the official version for PC. nine0003
Now difficulties can only arise with installing WhatsApp on a computer, so we will first of all consider this particular item.
This method is suitable for users who have a licensed version of Windows 8 or later. It allows you to install WhatsApp through the internal Windows App Store.
Install from the Microsoft Store. Screenshot of KP.RU To install, you need to launch the Microsoft Store and write WhatsApp in the search box. The first application in the list will be the desired program.
After installation, log in to WhatsApp for Windows through your smartphone. nine0003
Previously, you can download WhatsApp directly from the official website using the substitution of the Russian IP address. But after the release of the official WhatsApp client, this feature was removed. Now on the WhatsApp website, only a link leading to the Windows Store appears. Thus, now WhatsApp can only be installed through the Windows Store.
Thus, WhatsApp can now only be installed through the Windows Store .
Microsoft Store. Screenshot KP.RUIn order to use WhatsApp, it is not necessary to install it on a computer or laptop. If you're having trouble downloading the PC client, try the online version of WhatsApp 1 . In general, it is not much different from a full-fledged one. You must be logged in before using the site.
WhatsApp Web. Screenshot of KP.
RU In order to activate WhatsApp on a computer, you need to log in to the PC version via your mobile phone. Make it simple. nine0003 QR code. Screenshot of KP.RU
Select “Settings” in the mobile application menu and click on the QR code icon in the upper right corner. Select the "Scan code" tab and hover it over the image that appears when you launch the WhatsApp client for PC.
QR code scanning. Screenshot of KP.RUAfter a few seconds, the WhatsApp clients on the smartphone and on the computer are synchronized.
As a rule, installation of WhatsApp on smartphones and tablets takes place automatically. Despite the restrictions of Roskomnadzor, all Meta apps (an organization recognized as extremist in Russia) can still be obtained from the App Store and Google Play. WhatsApp installation files for Android are also available for download on the messenger's official website.
nine0003
For iOS devices, there is only one way to install WhatsApp - through the official App Store.
Open the App Store app and select WhatsApp from the search menu. We are interested in the original application - WhatsApp Messenger. Click on the "Install" button, and then everything will happen automatically. After installation, the program will offer to restore past correspondence from the cloud storage (if any).
App Store. Screenshot KP.RUThere is still no WhatsApp app for iPad in the App Store. Therefore, users have to use the web version of the messenger 2 . Before that, you need to log in.
Android users can get WhatsApp in two ways - through Google Play and the messenger's official website.
In the first case, you need to open the Google Play app store and type "WhatsApp" in the search field. Messenger will be installed automatically.
nine0003 Google Play. Screenshot of KP.RU
In the second case, the application can be installed by downloading the latest version of the apk file from the official website 3 . This option is suitable for smartphones that do not have the Google app store installed.
Download WhatsApp for Android. Screenshot of KP.RUThe file must be downloaded to a computer and then transferred to a smartphone. After opening an apk file unknown to the system, the smartphone will block it and prompt you to enable the installation of programs from unreliable sources. Agree to it. nine0003
On Android tablets, WhatsApp will also need to run as a web app 4 . Testing of the official client for tablets is still taking place behind closed doors.
Insecure installation. Screenshot of KP.RUConsent to installation. Screenshot of KP.RU Launching WhatsApp for the first time on a smartphone with iOS or Android, you bind it to a subscriber number.
Therefore, further authorization after installation will take place via SMS. After entering the unique code from the message, you will activate WhatsApp. nine0003
Tablets are different. There are no publicly available applications for Android or iPadOS tablets, so device owners have to use the web version of the messenger. Authorization in it occurs through a QR code, which must be scanned through the function in the settings of the mobile version of WhatsApp.
Simple solutions to complex software issues
Questions about common problems with WhatsApp are answered by Aisylu Shamsutdinova , head of sales at Gupshup (the largest global official WhatsApp partner).
Restoring message histories in WhatsApp is possible if the user has created a backup copy of chats in advance.
In the latest versions of WhatsApp, chats are automatically copied and stored on the user's phone. You can also set up backups to Google Drive or iCloud (depending on the operating system of the device). If the user transfers data within devices with the same OS (Android or iPhone), then using backups, you can easily transfer data with almost no loss. nine0003
To successfully restore a Google Drive backup, it is important to use the same phone number that was used to create the backup. For iPhone - the same iCloud.
To transfer WhatsApp from Android to iPhone and vice versa, you need to use special applications such as Transfer to iOS, Samsung Smart Switch or Google Data Transfer Tool.
It is important to understand that the user will be able to transfer their account information, profile photo, individual and group chats, chat history, media files and settings, but call history or display name will not be transferred. nine0003
If a backup was created beforehand (this usually happens automatically), then deleted messages can be restored.
To do this, just use the restore backup.
If the backup function has been disabled, deleted messages cannot be restored.
Yes, unwanted interlocutors can be blocked. To do this, you need to open a chat with him, click on the contact view and select the "Block" option at the bottom of the menu. If you are being harassed by a business account, you can ask them to unsubscribe you from the mailing list, or select the "Complain" option. In this case, WhatsApp will investigate the situation and may block such a user and prohibit sending messages to anyone.
The root cause needs to be corrected. There may be several of them:
1. Weak or no Internet connection. Reconnect to the network or restart your phone to reconnect.
2. Check the date and time on your phone. If they are incorrect, your device will not be able to access the WhatsApp servers and download your photo.
3. Check if there is enough memory on your device.
In most cases, this is due to the Internet connection. First of all, you need to check if your connection is stable. Rebooting the device or updating the WhatsApp application on a smartphone or browser on a PC can also help restore the operation of applications to successfully launch WhatsApp Web.
Personal messages and correspondence of users are protected by end-to-end encryption and are inaccessible to anyone except themselves (including WhatsApp). nine0003
In addition to chatting, WhatsApp gets access to information and some smartphone functions. For example, it can be location information, access to the contact list, calendar, photos, microphone, and so on. These permissions are determined when the application is installed.
