With more than one billion users, WhatsApp has become the number one messaging app. The simplicity, reliability and security that it provides have made WhatsApp so popular.
It has become so vital that it is simply not the name of a messaging app but has actually started working as a verb. Does “WhatsApp me, please” ring a bell? It has become synonymous with online messaging. WhatsApp is available on multiple platforms and can be accessed in different ways too.
Why Use WhatsApp?
Before we dig deeper to know the various ways through which we can use WhatsApp on different devices, let us look at WhatsApp features, making it such an indispensable messaging app. Firstly, you will have the majority of your contacts on WhatsApp, which makes this messaging app the first choice to communicate with anyone. Secondly, it supports groups with up to 256 people, which comes in handy in team communication.
Also, apart from texting, it can be used for both voice and video call and that too for free. Only the standard data charges will be applied for these calls. All the WhatsApp messages are protected using end-to-end encryption, and it is possible to share images, videos, music, contacts, documents and even contacts. Also, it is possible to share status and let your contacts know what’s on your mind. Now that you have few reasons to use WhatsApp, let us see the different ways of accessing it.
#1 Download the official WhatsApp on your device
Firstly, you can directly download and install the official WhatsApp on your smartphone and tablet. If you are using an Android device, you can use the Google Play Store to download WhatsApp, whereas iOS users can download it from the app store. Additionally, the WhatsApp app is also available on computers and laptops and can be downloaded from the respective operating devices’ respective app store. After downloading and installing the app, click on the WhatsApp icon and enter your mobile name and then verify it for registering yourself on WhatsApp, after which you can start using the app.
#2 WhatsApp Web
If you are running low in space on any device and cannot download the official WhatsApp app, you can go for the WhatsApp Web, which can be operated from any browser. Primarily, WhatsApp Web is used on the computer. For using WhatsApp Web on your computer, you first need to open WhatsApp on your phone and then tap on Menu/Settings and select WhatsApp Web. Open a web browser on your computer and type “web.whatsapp.com”, and point the screen of your smartphone on the QR code, which is visible on the computer screen. Once the QR code is scanned, you will be able to see your WhatsApp account on the browser. WhatsApp Web only allows the users to log in to their WhatsApp account and cannot be used for registering or signing up.
#3 Use WhatsApp via an Android Emulator
An Android Emulator is software that allows users to run Android apps and games on a computer. WhatsApp is also an Android app, and therefore, it can be easily run on the desktop using an Android emulator like BlueStacks and NoxPlayer. In our example, we’ll be using BlueStacks. Firstly, the user needs to download BlueStacks on their device. This Android emulator is available both on Windows and macOS devices.
After downloading the software, run it on your computer by following the online instructions available on your screen. After successfully installing BlueStacks on your device, open Google Play Store in it and search for “WhatsApp ” and click on download. Now, wait for the downloading and installing procedure of WhatsApp to be completed. After the installation is completed, click on the WhatsApp icon to open and then verify your phone number to start it.
WhatsApp works even when your internet connection is slow. If you cannot download WhatsApp because of low internet connectivity, you can use the Shareit app to receive the app from your friend’s smartphone. Shareit is a file transferring app that can also be used to share apps at a speed that is 200 times faster than Bluetooth technology. After you receive the app from your friend, simply sign in using WhatsApp.
