WhatsApp Messenger (for Android)

WhatsApp Messenger, a popular cross-platform text messaging alternative, lets you text and talk using only a data plan. But it's starting to feel inelegant in the face of rising competition.

Chatting it Up

With WhatsApp, you can send text, images, video or audio clips, and emojis. You can also attach files, send locations, and contact information.

WhatsApp Chat

There are three types of chats in WhatsApp: person-to-person, group, and Broadcast. Broadcast messages lets you blind-carbon copy several users at once. Group chat sequesters multiple users into a chat room.

Contact List

WhatsApp peruses your address book looking for the phone numbers of other WhatsApp users. If it finds a match, they'll appear in your Contacts list.

WhatsApp Calls

WhatsApp now lets you talk directly to other WhatsApp users through Voiceover IP calling. These work just like regular voice calls, but use data instead of your talk minutes.

Call List

Your previous calls appear in the new Calls tab.

WhatsApp for Web

WhatsApp's Web client is surprisingly smooth and well polished. The only catch is that it requires your phone have a network connection in order to operate.

Wi-Fi and Web Messaging

When you connect your phone to the WhatsApp Web messenger, note that you might hit your data plan hard. WhatsApp advises users to stick to Wi-Fi.

Pairing for Web

WhatsApp doesn't have accounts with passwords. Instead, you login to the Web version of WhatsApp using a QR code and your cellphone.