Much of what’s happening in the tech world completely passes me by - I’m not on Facebook and until now have rejected WhatsApp.
I have friends in the UK who have family spread across the world and occasionally they plaintively ask me “Why aren’t you on WhatsApp? All our other friends and family are.”
I have absolutely no idea what it does, how it works and why anyone would use it. I gather it’s part of Zuckerberg’s empire. Which is one of the reasons why I haven’t gone near it. Another friend uses Messenger - what’s the difference?
I really don’t care about all of this, except that I’ve been invited to join a WhatsApp Group which consists of the residents of the mews where we’ve just bought a house. And I’m wondering if I ought to join, not least in order not to appear standoffish (although I normally am!) and maybe to have a support group and a means of communication because we are not there all the time.
I’d be grateful for some information and views as to whether it would be a good idea to join. Not least, please, could someone explain to me what it does and how it works and the pros and cons.
WhatsApp is at the moment the “safest” way to message to people around the world over the internet for free. No reason not to use it over every other messaging system
You understand texting someone from your phone? It does the same but is secure and uses the an internet connection instead of needing a cell phone service like a text does.
I use it a lot. It’s particularly useful for free phone calls to people outside France. I am a member of a number of groups, and they are closed groups with supposedly end-to-end encryption
They are like tiny SFs (or not so tiny sometimes). So you post to the group and everyone can read or reply. You can add pictures, and videos.
Basically a private texting group you can put up photos etc for sharing within the group.
Many associations use WA
we have one for the village another for our medieval gardening project members only. Some families have a WA group for family news etc.
We use WhatsApp a lot. Madame and I send messages to each other using it (you can send pdfs, videos, music, Word documents, as well as simple messages).
And I belong to a number of groups, too. That can quickly become overwhelming but you can “mute” notifications, and check what’s going on maybe once a day. You’ll quickly gauge whether the group you’re talking about fills its time with nonsense!
The drawback is that groups can make you feel obliged to respond to what’s being said. That’s when you play your “I don’t really understand how it works” card.
And just to add I am OH’s WhatsApp secretary as he refuses to touch it but it’s the only thing daughter & and granddaughters use. So you are not alone.
a) This is a mobile phone only thing I guess? (Hate, hate - small keyboard on small screen a nightmare)
b) Or can I load it onto my i-pad? If so much better.
c) And I download an app from an app store?
d) And once I’ve done that, I just click on the link to the group I’ve been invited to join?
e) Is it courteous when one joins a group to introduce oneself?
f) So is this just text, photos, videos?
g) Or is it like Zoom, and you can see a person and talk to them?
h) Or not see them but still talk to them?
i) What happens if it’s the group? More than one can join in like Zoom?
j) I’m worried about the inundated bit - I found dealing with the solicitors texting on the phone hour after hour really stressful. Much prefer a “real” phone.
k) So this is wifi stuff? Not satellite? We have virtually no sat reception here and wifi means standing at the bottom of the stairs to get a signal.
As you may have gathered, this really does not thrill me.
So thanks to those of you who are helping through this.
Very simply, it is is much the same as what you do here. You chat with a chosen group or you can chat privately. Do not worry about how.
Instead of having a bookmarked link like here, you will have an app. Have you ever downloaded an app? If so, search in your app store, and download the Whatsap app. Open the app and follow instructions. Once you are registered, come back and someone will help you start.
If you do not know to down load an app, no problem, it is easy. Do you know if your device is Apple or Android?
I hate it because I hate typing on a tiny phone keyboard, but my wife loves it and relays all the messages to me verbally.
However in your case, I’d recommend joining your new neighbours’ WhatsApp group for two reasons:-
Firstly, you’ll be kept up to date with neighbourhood news.
Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, it’ll help with social integration, whereas if you don’t engage in this way, you might be seen as ‘standoffish’.
Ah - but the invitation is in my text messages on my phone and just gives the link to whatsapp followed by /dl/ . So can I just type this into my i-pad app and then somehow/somewhere find the mews group? He gives its name but it’s not shown as part of the link.
In typical SF fashion, you have asked a question and received a dozen replies that has not answered your dilemma.
So to continue: go to the App Store on your ipad and serach for the Whatsap app. It will no doubt be top of the list. Now download the app. Once it is on the ipad, open it and follow the few instructions.
Owned by Meta. That’s reason number one. There’s a reason all the scumbags in the Trump administration are using a version of Signal and not WhatsApp for their group chats. But of course WhatsApp is where most people are so it is of course the smoothest option.
Me and my family use Whatsapp extensively because it’s free and its easy.
First thing. You will need a phone to start using it. Yes, you can download an app for Android and iThing, but it wont work until you first install it on a phone, then you ‘tie’ the tablet (or PC) to your phones account. There doesn’t seem to be any way around this.
We use WhatsApp to message (just like a text), send pictures, make telephone calls and video calls to family and friends. We use it because if we all use it, we can all very easily keep in touch, and for free. You just need an internet connection to use it.