Im very late to the game here (expect it to go the way of msn or myspace now that ive signed up!)

Ive downloaded the app – its wanting access to my entire phone book / contact list. Is there anyway to just select the people i want to use whatsapp with rather than adding everyone?

I thought you could just say no…

You can add the people you want from inside the app. You can’t add just a portion of your address book.

Long term user here, its really excellent especially for groups and international numbers. IMHO far batter than standard messaging apps of iOS and Android.

IIRC, you give it access to your phone book and it goes “these people are using WhatsApp” and gives you the option to add individuals. It’s been a while though so I may be wrong.

^ that.

We use it loads, it’s really quite good for what it is.

Top bants on WhatsApp! 😆

will give it a go then, was a bit worried i’d have to actually have to communicate with some of the people on my phone book that use it if they see me online on it!

just connnect it to your contacts.

WhatsApp is the reason I only pay about £4 a month on PAYG. Saves me a fortune. Fantastic app. Don’t have an issue with them looking at my contacts as the more people I can talk with via WhatsApp, the less I have to pay to my provider. I know it’s not the only VoIP option but it’s really a revolution in communication. And they don’t charge me a penny to use it.

If someone created an STW whatsapp group wed have a whole new modern forum in seconds.

Ah no, itd never work.

Depends if you are trying to hide it from your wife/partner 🙂

jambalaya –
Long term user here, its really excellent especially for groups and international numbers terrorists.

😉

Use both its call and message features all the time. Being able to call my buddy for free in oz is brilliant. I’m part of several group chats and one of those actually organises real bike rides, however it’s mainly used for piss taking pre and post said rides out.

I downloaded the app last week and un-installed it within 2 minutes once I realised that a lot of my business contacts were on there ..I don’t have a separate mobile to distinguish between personal & work ..
Having a mobile / landline / and email address to contact me is quite enough without adding another means into the mix !

You don’t have to answer a message you know.

You can block whatever contacts you like from seeing you.

WhatsApp is basically modern txt message. Really useful especially if you travel at all.

^^^If your business contacts have your phone number they can contact you just as much via normal phone and txt. Makes no difference.

Great thread on WhatsApp here.

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/travel-technology/952359-thoughts-about-my-free-iphone-app-whatsapp.html

Yep..makes no difference ..thats why I don’t need it.

WhatsApp is mint. What I like about it is that uses every connection available to it to send a message. Hence if you’re in the lake district with no phone signal but your accommodation has wifi you can send messages. It will also send a message on a basic non data signal just like sms.

Is there any way to get it on your iPad? I have the app on my mac and phone but searching the App Store for an IPad version brings up a lot of third party apps

If there isn’t a specific ipad app, I am sure the iphone app will work on your ipad.

I don’t think it’s available for tablets.
I’m sure there’s probably a workaround though somewhere.

Yep..makes no difference ..thats why I don’t need it.

Which begs the question of why did you install it then?

I really like WhatsApp and use it a lot – shame it’s owned by Facebrag 🙁

It was suggested by a couple of mates as a place to organise rides on a group setting ..I had a look ..

I don’t think it’s available for tablets.

Kind of his.
It’s linked to your phone number to identify you and your contacts so needs a sim card.
Although Mrs PP was using it on our Windows 10 tablet/PC – she said something to do with a QR code on your phone that it had to see everytime you opened it to link it to your phone. Seemed stupidly complicated so I haven’t bothered trying.

I believe it won’t work on tablets unless you have a SIM installed as it requires a phone number on set up.

I use it on my phone and home PC, I would think that the web version I use on my PC should work on a tablet.

https://web.whatsapp.com/

It’s linked to your phone number to identify you and your contacts so needs a sim card.

The app works fine on my PC. It is somehow linked to my phone (as you say, I think there was an onscreen QR code involved for set up) but I don’t see why it couldn’t work in the same way on my iPad. I think it depends on my phone being connected to the same network (so if my phone has wifi turned off it doesn’t work)

The real Omar Little would use Wickr

I’m part of several group chats and one of those actually organises real bike rides, however it’s mainly used for piss taking pre and post said rides out.

Sounds familiar, except for the lack of organising rides (I’m as guilty as anyone).

Whatsapp is really good for messaging, especially groups and pics/video. The video calling is also pretty good and I’ve dumped Skype for mobile to mobile video calls.

The best feature is end to end encryption so that GCHQ can’t find out what we are having for dinner.

The web app which can run on comouter / tabkets is pretty much crap, or it was a year ago when I tried it

@hog if you gave whatsapp your contact info even if just for 3 mins it’s already copied everything

@poop joking aside yes it is used that way. End to end uncrackable encryption just isnt’t needed / justified for personal messaging.

It is somehow linked to my phone (as you say, I think there was an onscreen QR code involved for set up) but I don’t see why it couldn’t work in the same way on my iPad. I think it depends on my phone being connected to the same network (so if my phone has wifi turned off it doesn’t work)

I could really bore you with how the web client/native app works but basically it just needs a connection to your phone as your PC goes via your phone to send messages. You don’t need to be on the same network but both do need internet access. It’ll work fine if phone is off wi-fi but on say 3G. I use the web/native desktop apps more than the phone app directly.

@poop joking aside yes it is used that way. End to end uncrackable encryption just isnt’t needed / justified for personal messaging.

I expect they’d actually use Signal or similar, Whatsapp stores metadata about who you talk to and when etc…

brant – Member

Great thread on WhatsApp here.

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/travel-technology/952359-thoughts-about-my-free-iphone-app-whatsapp.html Brilliant. Love that story about the air miles.
Looks like he was still working there a year after the deal. I guess the Life changing amount of money threshold wasn’t reached at 16billion!

the problem with whatsapp is the err ‘interesting’ pics/vids that end up getting saved onto your phone and forgotten about until you show your Mum some pictures of your latest holiday

End to end uncrackable encryption just isnt’t needed / justified for personal messaging.

I’ve just parked up at work. There’s nothing of value in the car, and the key is in my pocket. Should I leave it unlocked?

the problem with whatsapp is the err ‘interesting’ pics/vids that end up getting saved onto your phone and forgotten about until you show your Mum some pictures of your latest holiday

The same is true of any messaging app, Snapchat aside, n’est-ce pas?

There is an option in Whatsapp which controls if received media is saved to phone automatically. It is off on my mobile, otherwise my phone would be full of pics of bottom brackets and forgotten shopping lists.

There is some new vulnerability in Whatsapp so it is not super secure and considering the owner I wouldn’t trust it for James Bond stuff anyway.