WhatsApp is a free instant messaging app owned since 2014 by Meta, the parent company of Facebook. It lets you send messages, photos, videos, documents and voice notes, and make voice and video calls over the internet instead of the phone network.
What WhatsApp is for
Private messages and calls are end-to-end encrypted, so neither WhatsApp nor Meta can read or listen to them. The app handles group chats, video calls with up to 32 people, live location sharing and Status updates that disappear after 24 hours. Your account is tied to a phone number, and you can then link a computer, tablet or watch to it.
Who is it for?
WhatsApp suits anyone who wants to keep in touch with family, friends or colleagues for free, including abroad, with nothing more than an internet connection. Businesses have a separate app, WhatsApp Business. If you would rather limit the data you hand over to Meta, other encrypted messaging apps are worth a look.
Download WhatsApp safely
The official version is available on the Google Play Store, the App Store for iPhone and Mac, and the Microsoft Store for Windows, and it also runs in a browser at web.whatsapp.com. Modified versions such as WhatsApp Plus, GB WhatsApp or WhatsApp Fouad do not come from Meta: WhatsApp cannot vouch for the privacy of messages sent through them and may ban accounts that use them.
