If you’ve ever been away from home and unable to communicate regularly because of the cost, then you will appreciate what WhatsApp Messenger brings to the table. An app that uses instant messaging (IM) and Voice-over-IP (VOIP) technology, it was developed by WhatsApp Inc. The app was later bought by Facebook in 2014 and is the most popular messaging app.
WhatsApp Messenger is the main mode of online communication on four continents. Several reasons serve to keep WhatsApp as the main messaging app for over 2 billion users worldwide. This review will examine the top features and existing alternatives.
How Does WhatsApp Work?
WhatsApp is an instant messaging app that uses Wifi to deliver end-to-end encrypted messages across the platform. Although the app works with your cellular data, it does not require users to have a data plan. Once there is a Wi-Fi connection, users can send instant messages, and make voice and video calls over the app.
The beauty of WhatsApp is that you can send unlimited messages, and it doesn’t limit the length of your calls. Best of all it is free, which makes it a favourite tool worldwide.
Some mobile devices already come with WhatsApp preinstalled. WhatsApp is available on the Play Store for Android devices and the App Store for iOS devices. There’s also a web version but you’ll need to connect to the web version by syncing it with the mobile app. That is done by scanning a QR code.
Core Features of the App
There’s a lot you can do with WhatsApp. It is a great communication tool for personal and business use. We have already mentioned the first two features, but we will list them again and then get to the good part.
- Free instant messaging
- Free voice and video calls
- Send voice recordings to contacts
- Create (or join) WhatsApp groups with up to 1000 members
- Send messages to people even when they’re not in your contacts list
- Send Disappearing messages which will be automatically deleted after 24 hours, 7 days or 90 days
- Customise messages with Bold, Italics or Strikethrough
- Send broadcast messages to a broadcast list
- Mute notifications for all messages or selected messages
- Archive messages you do not want to receive notifications for
There is so much more that users can do with WhatsApp. The fact that it has such a large user base also makes it an ideal way to communicate.
If you’re ready to take the WhatsApp Messenger app out for a spin, why not go straight to the end of this post and click the links there?
System Requirements for the WhatsApp Messenger App
For Android devices, an important requirement is sufficient space in storage. You will need at least 100 MB of storage space, Android 5.0 or later and an internet connection. Although you could probably download WhatsApp on a later Android OS, WhatsApp will not provide support for older versions of Android.
iPhone users require similar requirements except that WhatsApp will only provide support for iPhones running iOS 12 or later. JioPhone and JioPhone 2 will also require recent KaiOS versions.
The app runs on the internet, but new users need to verify their phone numbers via SMS.
Alternatives to WhatsApp Messenger
If you are not so keen on WhatsApp Messenger, there are a few alternatives out there. A strong contender is the Signal app, which offers instant messaging, and voice and video calls. It places a strong emphasis on privacy, however, it does not have a large user base like WhatsApp.
Other WhatsApp alternatives include Telegram with enhanced security features, but a smaller user base than WhatsApp. Then, there’s Viber, which lets you call landlines and mobile phones for an affordable fee. Discord is another alternative that was originally built for gamers but is slowly gaining popularity among non-gamers.
WhatsApp is now owned by Meta (Facebook’s parent company) giving rise to concerns about privacy. Even though it uses end-to-end encryption, there’s a growing concern that the app is not as private as it used to be. For that reason alone, it falls short of 5 stars.
