I'd like to hear opinions please about WhatsApp, which has been recommended to me. Much conflicting info on t'internet.

It's a cross between text messaging and Pandora's box.

In essence, it's just another more sophisticated and easier to use version of the SMS text service. You can send text, photos, video, and attachments (including the Tuesday night cartoons). You can also make VOIP (voice over Internet phonecalls) phone calls. Instead of using your minutes, or costing you money, it uses your data and the internet connection, or your wi-fi connection to make the phonecall. The recipient does need to have WhatsApp too.

The reality is that once every bugger realises you have WhatsApp installed (they can see your number in their WhatsApp), you'll get an endless stream of drivel and crap coming through in the form of attachments, photos and TikTok videos. (About 10% make it to Tuesday night Zoom). I have the notifications turned off. This prevents me from losing it and driving the phone through the nearest breeze block wall with an available hammer.

To be fair, many WhatsApp users are considerate and use it for mostly functional reasons, and it's useful for sharing family pics/info.

It's sophisticated text messaging.
Most people use it these days for social interaction in preference to texting.
I use it all the time for communicating with family/friends.
I get absolutely no spam or messages from people I don't know and no ads (which can be annoying on Fb Messenger).
You can set up group messaging and send photos, videos, music, website links, links to eg email and spreadsheets etc.
I wouldn't be without it.
Cheers
Martin

Partly depends what you intend to use it for...

It's good as a Group chat service (one of the better ones for that).
Picture messaging is good and depending on what data/messaging you have in you phone contract may be noticeably cheaper.
Video calling is good if both parties have a decent WiFi or 4G GSM signal (better than MS Teams over the same connection) but ropey over a poor signal and does seem to eat data faster than Skype.
For one-to-one conversations, it's no real advantages for the majority over regular SMS text messaging with the disadvantage of needing a data connection.

Some critics will flag the connection to Facebook. While it is owned by the same parent company, you do not need a Facebook account to use it.

It's a poorly written chat/messaging app that got bought out by Facebook and amazingly made worse. Lots of people use it because it (before Facebook bought it) promised privacy for all users, but it's now just another Facebook data collection app. Like the Facebook app, it's also incredibly power hungry and bad for your phone's battery.

Avoid if possible.

I use it on my phone and my iPad. I have a few groups on it, one family and one friends. We organise Christmas meals and get togethers using it. The transmissions are encrypted so if you are planning a coup d'etat it will be safe to do so using WhatsApp.

you can install Whatsapp on both your phone and your computer.

Quote from: emjaybee on July 07, 2022, 04:20:36 PM
The reality is that once every bugger realises you have WhatsApp installed (they can see your number in their WhatsApp), you'll get an endless stream of drivel and crap coming through in the form of attachments, photos and TikTok videos.

I've never had that problem. If someone wants to WhatsApp you, you have the option to refuse, and to make contact with someone through WhatsApp they have to approve your request. That's how it's worked for me, I only get WhatsApp messages from people I know.
(Or does it work differently in the UK? I'm in the EU.)

Quote from: keithfre on July 07, 2022, 05:10:54 PM

Quote from: emjaybee on July 07, 2022, 04:20:36 PM
The reality is that once every bugger realises you have WhatsApp installed (they can see your number in their WhatsApp), you'll get an endless stream of drivel and crap coming through in the form of attachments, photos and TikTok videos.

I've never had that problem. If someone wants to WhatsApp you, you have the option to refuse, and to make contact with someone through WhatsApp they have to approve your request. That's how it's worked for me, I only get WhatsApp messages from people I know.
(Or does it work differently in the UK? I'm in the EU.)

No, that's how it works in the UK.

Quote from: joe cassidy on July 07, 2022, 05:09:10 PM
you can install Whatsapp on both your phone and your computer.

I find that very useful, as typing on a mobile is a nightmare AFAIC!

Quote from: keithfre on July 07, 2022, 05:28:42 PM

Quote from: joe cassidy on July 07, 2022, 05:09:10 PM
you can install Whatsapp on both your phone and your computer.

I find that very useful, as typing on a mobile is a nightmare AFAIC!

Also available for iPads/ Android tablets

Quote from: port perran on July 07, 2022, 04:29:54 PM
It's sophisticated text messaging.
Most people use it these days for social interaction in preference to texting.
I use it all the time for communicating with family/friends.
I get absolutely no spam or messages from people I don't know and no ads (which can be annoying on Fb Messenger).
You can set up group messaging and send photos, videos, music, website links, links to eg email and spreadsheets etc.
I wouldn't be without it.
Cheers
Martin

Ditto for me.  We all use it in our family and most of my friends do to. Mainly for text messaging and sending photos but occasionally for voice calls and video calls too. Really handy when you have poor network connection but have wifi available. No down side at all, just positives. 

The photos are bigger too on a computer screen.

We use it for messaging among the family - better than SMS because you can send photos and videos easily. Also, one of our neighbours set up a mutual-support group for our street during the first lockdown which proved so useful that it is still very well used. All very civilised - there has only been one occasion when it got a bit heated but it was defused quickly. We recommend it.

I can't agree with @zwilnik that it is power hungry. I've found no difference myself.

Cheers,

Chris

Thanks All,
It looks to be relatively useful, especially as my mate Rob is rubbish at picking up e mails on his tablet. I installed it last night and sent him a couple of messages, and even then I had to ring him up to see if I'd done it correctly and, stone me, he hadn't looked at his phone either
Not being entirely sure what I'm doing, I mail pics to my phone from my laptop (which is where they are all stored) and then store them on the phone from the e mail. Vids are an entirely different matter as I make my steam/diesel tour clips in HD and the sheer size in Mb means WhatsApp won't do them.
I'm not entirely convinced I'll be keeping it and if, as mentioned, I start getting a load of unwanted ads etc I'll just uninstall it. It happens to be free which, using pay as you go, is a benefit