WhatsApp is one of the most popular applications in the entire world, with over 2 billion monthly active users.
But what is it about WhatsApp that makes it better than texting, anyway?
It turns out, there are a lot of wonderful reasons that make WhatsApp superior. And by understanding each of them, it becomes obvious why WhatsApp has risen to such great popularity!
In this article, I’ll cover 8 benefits of WhatsApp, and why you should consider using it if you aren’t already.
1. WhatsApp Operates Over The Internet
One key thing that’s important to know about WhatsApp is that unlike traditional SMS / MMS messaging, WhatsApp operates entirely over the internet.
This means that you are able to use it without a cellular connection. If you have Wi-Fi OR cellular data, you are able to use WhatsApp.
Therefore, you have a lot more options, especially if you live in an area where you don’t always have adequate cellular coverage.
Additionally, if you are traveling to a new country where you’d normally have to be roaming, WhatsApp also allows you to opt to place texts and calls over the internet, meaning that you don’t have to pay the inflated rates you’d be charged otherwise.
Note: Although services like iMessage also operate over the internet, WhatsApp allows you to send texts / place calls to any other WhatsApp user – not just those running the same type of phone!
2. WhatsApp Is Encrypted End-To-End
If you care about your privacy, this benefit is huge!
Many people don’t know this, but your carriers can technically read the contents of SMS messages – they are sent entirely in plain text, and therefore can be intercepted at any point.
WhatsApp however uses end-to-end encryption – meaning that nobody but the people you’re conversing with can read them.
In essence, encryption works by scrambling the data when the message is sent, and then unscrambling it only when it arrives on the other person’s device.
This means that even if somebody were to ‘take’ a copy of it while it was in transit, they still wouldn’t be able to read what the message said, even if they wanted to.
So, this means that your private conversations truly are private!
Note: If another user reports you, keep in mind that recent messages may be sent to moderators for review, however.
3. WhatsApp Avoids Extra Charges From Your Carrier
This is another big reason why WhatsApp is so popular – especially in certain countries.
Many carriers still impose strict limits on your cellular usage. For example, the amount of messages that you can send or receive, or the amount of data that you can use.
Because WhatsApp operates over the internet and not through your carrier, you can bypass these limits entirely.
Sending messages over text does not count towards your allotted text messages, and sending even large video files over the internet won’t count towards your data, as long as you’re on Wi-Fi when it happens.
Plus, as mentioned earlier, Wi-Fi ensures you aren’t hit with those expensive roaming charges either.
All-in-all, using WhatsApp is a great way to save money and avoid extra charges, especially if you’re on a cellular plan with strict limits in place!
4. WhatsApp Is Great For International Communication
Speaking of extra charges, another area where WhatsApp excels is in international communication.
This is what I personally started using it for myself – it is so much easier (and cheaper) to handle all communication with people in other countries, through a service like WhatsApp.
This is true both if you have contacts in other countries, or if you’re simply traveling internationally yourself.
Again, because WhatsApp operates over the internet, there are no extra charges for sending messages or placing calls internationally.
So, as long as you’re able to find Wi-Fi to use, you can still communicate with others without any extra charges.
And if you plan your communications around when you’ll have Wi-Fi, this allows you to acquire very few extra charges, even while traveling for lengthy periods of time!
5. WhatsApp Allows Larger Group Chats
This one won’t be important for everyone, but it is still a nice benefit.
Regular text messages only allow groups of up to 10 people – you, plus 9 others. iMessage allows up to 32.
WhatsApp on the other hand allows you to have groups as large as 1,024 people!
This essentially allows you to host entire communities inside of a WhatsApp message thread, similarly to a small Discord server.
While you’d obviously want to mute notifications from such a large group, it is nice that WhatsApp gives us this feature.
So, if you want to host large group chats, WhatsApp is a great choice!
6. You Can Easily Share Media / Documents
If you need to share photos, videos, or documents with other people, WhatsApp makes this easy!
In addition to supporting larger files without any extra data charges, WhatsApp also allows you to send other types of files to people as well.
So, if you’re using WhatsApp in a workplace setting, it may be better to take advantage of WhatsApp groups, rather than the typical group chats you’d find through regular texting.
This is a small benefit that won’t be applicable to everyone, but if you regularly share files with others, it can be quite significant!
7. You Can Unsend Messages
Unlike most normal texting applications, WhatsApp allows you to unsend messages that you’ve already sent out to someone else.
So, if you want to take something back, you sent a message before you were ready, or you simply regret your decision to say something, WhatsApp allows you to recall it!
Of course, you can’t erase it from someone’s memory if they’ve already read it. However, if you’re quick, you can unsend a WhatsApp message by holding down on the message, and tapping on the ‘Delete’ button.
This is just one of the many unique features that WhatsApp has, but it definitely offers you peace of mind!
8. The Software Is Similar Across All Devices
Finally, the software is pretty much the same regardless of what device you’re using it on – or what device you’re sending texts to.
This offers a few key benefits.
First of all, if you’re someone that uses multiple devices to text from, this means that the UI and experience of using WhatsApp is exactly the same. WhatsApp even allows you to send messages from your computer, so this makes the process a lot easier!
Additionally, if you are sending texts to someone with an older phone – or a phone with an OS that doesn’t match yours, you can still be sure that everything will work just fine.
For example, if your phone’s normal texting app has emojis or stickers that the other person’s phone doesn’t support, then normally they wouldn’t see them.
On WhatsApp however, all built-in functions work perfectly with other devices – even video calling, so you’ll never run into this problem!
Conclusion
As you can see, WhatsApp has a large number of benefits over traditional text messaging – and even other internet-based messaging options like iMessage.
Because it’s designed to look just like a regular texting app would and they don’t change the interface that much, it’s no wonder why it’s grown to over 2 billion users. Making the switch is simple, and certainly worth considering!
I hope that you’ve found this article helpful, and it’s given you a better understanding of WhatsApp.
If you have any other questions about WhatsApp, ask them below and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.
Wishing you the best,
– James McAllister