Personal tools

WhatsApp

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(Street Scene , New York City, NY, U.S.A. - The Rockefeller Foundation)
   

- Overview

With WhatsApp, you'll get fast, simple, secure messaging and calling for free, available on phones all over the world.

WhatsApp (https://www.whatsapp.com/) is a free app for iPhones, Android smartphones, Macs and Windows PCs. It allows you to send messages, pictures, videos and even voice recordings, and to make voice and video calls over the internet for free, rather than paying to do the same using your mobile network. iPhone owners can do this already with users of other iPhones, iPads and Mac computers using FaceTime. However, as FaceTime doesn’t run on Android phones or tablets, WhatsApp is ideal if you want to communicate with someone who isn’t using an Apple device.

It’s worth noting that if you’re not connected to wi-fi, WhatsApp will use your mobile data connection. This means that the data you use by using WhatsApp may be deducted from the allowance included as part of your contract (as a guide, a 10-minute video call uses 5MB of mobile data). If you mainly use WhatsApp on mobile data rather than wi-fi, it may be worth considering a contract that overlooks messaging tools when calculating your data usage.

 

- To Install WhatsApp on My Laptop and My Phone

To install WhatsApp on a smartphone, head to the app store and search for WhatsApp then follow the instructions. Want to get WhatsApp on your computer? Then visit the WhatsApp website and download it from there.

 

- To Set Up a WhatsApp Voice Call

WhatsApp allows you to make video and voice calls. Press the Calls button (phone icon) at the bottom of the screen on an iPhone, or the Calls tab at the top of the screen on Android. If you want to call someone in your contacts list, press the icon showing a phone beside a + symbol, then scroll through your contacts. From the screen that appears you’ll be able to turn on video by tapping the video call button (it’s an audio call by default). 

GHI TIP: Want to talk to more than one person? Press the Add Participant icon (an outline of a head with a + symbol) when you’re on a call. Scroll through your contact list and select the person you want to invite to the call.

 

- How Does WhatsApp Group Chat Work?

Want to message a number of people in one go so you can all converse? Create a group chat. To do this on an iPhone, start by pressing the Chat button at the bottom of the screen. On Android, tap Chat at the top of the screen, followed by the speech bubble at the bottom. Now tap New Group and select the contacts you want to talk to. Tap Next and you’ll be able to add a subject for the group and even an icon, which will appear where the contact’s photo usually does. Then you’ll be free to type a message as usual.

 

- To Send a Message with WhatsApp

If you're using an iPhone, open WhatsApp and press the Chat button at the bottom of the screen (two speech bubbles), then the Compose button in the top right (it looks like a pen on a square of paper). On an Android phone, tap the Chats tab at the top of the screen, followed by the speech bubble at the bottom. 

Now, on either phone, scroll through your contacts list or use the search box at the top of the screen (iPhone) or magnifier icon (Android) to find the person you want to message. You’ll be presented with a chat screen. Tap on the white box and type your message. You can attach pictures, videos, documents or even a person’s contact details by pressing the + symbol to the left of the white box. Press the arrow to the right of the white box to send your message. 

GHI TIP: Don’t want to type? Press and hold the microphone button to the right of the white box and speak your message, which will be sent as a voice note. Alternatively, dictate your message. Tap on the white box to bring up your keyboard, then press the microphone button and dictate your message. The phone will automatically transcribe this into the message box.

 

 

[More to come ...]

 

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