Life is nothing without family and good friends. But all too often parents, children and friends live too far apart due to work. You rarely see each other and what remains are phone calls that have a negative impact on your landline or mobile phone bill every month. But there is another way and, above all, it's free - with WhatsApp! One of the most popular and best apps for messaging and video calls.
WhatsApp works on all devices. Regardless of whether you use an Apple iPhone or an Android device from Samsung, Sony, Huawei, ONEPLUS or XIAOMI.
What exactly is WhatsApp?
But what exactly is WhatsApp and what can you do with WhatsApp? WhatsApp is a smartphone-app that uses your phone's cellular or Wi-Fi connection to make and receive messages and calls, and is accessible from almost anywhere in the world! WhatsApp is a great app for families to communicate, share pictures and make video calls. All for free, even if the recipient(s) are abroad!
Is WhatsApp secure?
The answer is yes! WhatsApp is secure, easy to use and has end-to-end encryption. This means that your communication with family or friends cannot be read by anyone other than the intended recipient.
Get WhatsApp ready to go
We will now show you in a short guide how to download WhatsApp to your smartphone and get it up and running.
- Search for Whatsapp in the App Store. It's a free app, so when you click download, it won't cost you a penny. Downloading works best when you have a WiFi connection, so make sure this is the case. WhatsApp will then download to your smartphone.
- After downloading, click Open to start the app.
- The next step is to set up the app with your number. During setup, you may see fields asking if WhatsApp can access the microphone or camera or send notifications. You should click Allow for each of these items as they are essential for video calling.
- Now it's time to set up the app. You agree to the General Terms and Conditions. You will then be asked to enter your mobile phone number. Once you have entered your mobile phone number, click Done.
- To make sure that the right number is connected to the right phone, you will then be sent a verification code. This code will be sent as a text message to your messaging app. Now you need to copy the code from your text messages and enter it manually. Then enter your name and you're ready to go!
WhatsApp is easy to use, but the digital devil is in the details. Things don't always run smoothly straight away. And so that you are prepared for all eventualities, we recommend the book WhatsApp for seniors from BILDNER Verlag in Passau.
Book tip: WhatsApp for seniors
The renowned BILDNER publishing house from Passau has a tailor-made guide for WhatsApp beginners for both Apple and Android smartphones. With lots of pictures, practical tips and a large emoji lexicon. Emojis are small symbols that can be used in communication.
You will systematically learn how to install WhatsApp, send and receive messages including attachments, communicate in a group, delete chats (conversations), transfer your data to a new device and much more. You will also learn everything you need to know about data protection and security, e.g. how to block unwanted users or determine who can see your profile picture.
Attention! If you have an iPhone, then you need this book: WhatsApp for seniors - Ideal for the iPhone
Attention! If you have an Android smartphone, then you need this book WhatsApp for seniors - Ideal for Android devices (Updated edition)
Look forward to lots of helpful practical tips - and stay in touch with family and friends!
