How to use WhatsApp

Want to save money on your mobile phone bill? Then switch to WhatsApp. The free mobile messaging app lets you send messages, and make voice and video calls from your smartphone over the internet rather than your mobile network for free. So when you’re connected to wifi, whether at home, at work or in the local coffee shop, it won’t cost you a penny. Here’s everything you need to know about how to use WhatsApp.

What is WhatsApp?

WhatsApp is a free app for iPhones, Android smartphones, Windows Phone and Mac laptops and Windows PC. It allows you to send messages, pictures, videos and even voice recordings, as well as make voice and video calls over the internet for free, rather than using your mobile network which costs you money. iPhone owners can do this already with other iPhones, iPads and Mac computers using iMessage and FaceTime but this is ideal if you want to communicate with someone who has an Android smartphone or vice versa. It’s worth noting if you’re not connected to wi-fi, WhatsApp uses your mobile data connection. As a guide, a 10-minute video call uses 5MB of mobile data.

Where can I get WhatsApp?

If you’re using a smartphone, head to your app store and search for WhatsApp. Want to get WhatsApp on your computer? Then visit the WhatsApp website and download it from there.

How to send a message

To send a message, open WhatsApp and press the Chat button at the bottom of the screen (speech bubble). Press the compose button in the top right hand corner – it looks like a pen on a square of paper – and then either scroll through your contact list or use the search box at the top of the screen 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 Blue 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. It’ll be sent as a voice note. Alternatively dictate your message. Tap on the white box to bring up your keyboard. Press the microphone button and dictate your message. The phone will automatically transcribe this into the message box.

Once you’ve sent your message, you will see a combination of coloured ticks in the bottom right-hand corner.;

• One grey tick indicates the message hasn’t been received yet (possibly as the recipient doesn’t have an internet connection).
• Two grey ticks means it’s been received but not read
• Two blue ticks means it’s been read
• A grey clock means you don’t have an internet connection so the message can’t be sent at present but it will be sent as soon as you do get a web connection.

You can turn this feature off so people can’t see if their message has been read or not by heading to Settings. Choose Account, then Privacy and use the slider next to Read Receipts to turn it off.

BRAZIL PHOTO PRESSGETTY IMAGES

How to delete a message

Sent a message by accident? If it hasn’t been read then you can delete the message. Just press and hold, then select Delete and remove it from the chat. However the recipient will see a message that says 'This message was deleted'.

How to stop people seeing you're online

WhatsApp shows your contacts when you were last online (called a timestamp). To see this, they just need to open the chat they have with you and at the top underneath your name will be the time you were last in WhatsApp. If you’re using the app at that moment, they will see that your are online or the word ‘typing’ if you are writing a message. If you find this too intrusive, you can turn it off by heading to Settings. Choose Account, then Privacy, followed by Last Seen and choose Nobody.

How to create a group chat

Want to message a number of people in one go so you can all converse? Create a group chat. To do this, press the Chat button at the bottom of the screen, followed by the compose button in the top right-hand corner. Now press New Group from the top of the screen 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.

How to make a call

WhatsApp also allows you to make video and voice calls. Press the Calls button (phone icon) at the bottom of the screen. Want to call someone in your contacts list? Then press the icon in the top right-hand corner (a phone with a + symbol) and then scroll through your contacts. From the screen the appears you’ll be able to turn video on 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 in the top right-hand corner when you’re on a call. Scroll through you contact list and select the person you want to join the call.

How to share a status

You can post images, videos and GIFs as a status that disappear after 24 hours, just like Instagram stories. Press the status icon in the bottom left hand corner when you open WhatsApp, then press Add to My Status and you’ll be able to select a picture from your phone or take a new image. You can even annotate it.

Stop pictures and videos being saved to your phone’s memory

WhatsApp automatically saves photos and videos you’ve been sent via the app to your smartphone, but this can take up valuable space. If you’re struggling to accommodate all the media you get sent, go to Settings, Chats and then switch off Save to Camera Roll. On Android phones this is sometimes called Media Visibili