Whatsapp Explanation

[ethandron]

In very, very, very simple terms could someone please explain the above to me. We’ve both downloaded the app on to our iPhones but neither of us can see any advantage to it over texts and emails with photos attached, which we can already do, and feel we’re missing something...are we?
Does everyone WhatsApp these days? And what’s the advantage of having a WhatsApp group, I can send the same text or email to numerous people anyway so why have a ‘group’?
I don’t want a technical answer, which is why I’ve posed the question here, I’d just love someone to explain it all to me in words of one syllable.

[ParsleyDumpling]

Hi ethandron, once you have the app downloaded any or all of your contacts that use WhatsApp also, will automatically show up as WhatsApp contacts as well. I use it to "text" my sister in South Africa, as stated it is free and easier than email. It is almost instantaneous, I will be visiting her this summer and will get my husband to use it, so that I am able to phone him without incurring huge roaming costs.

[ethandron]

Our email and FaceTime are free too, maybe that’s why I can’t see the point of us having WhatsApp, and on both our phone contracts we have free unlimited texts.

[ParsleyDumpling]

If you have family and friends outside of the UK some providers charge for sending international texts, though.

[douglas9401]

Indeed they do PD, as I found out this month after communing with my youngest, currently in Australia.

Whatsapp's the biz.

[ethandron]

That’s true Parsley, although neither of us text our abroad relatives very often. I think that as neither of us are hugely attached to our phones, like some of our friends are, it just seems a bit pointless for us.
Perhaps we ought to just bite the bullet and get going with it and see how useful we find it.

[Maydup]

I have unlimited texts but there's a charge for sending photos, so I use WhatsApp for exchanging photos with close family. Its quick , easy and free. Far easier than uploading the image to email when out and about and catching a photo on the phone.

[ethandron]

You’re right about the photos maydup, they go straight to albums don’t they?
So we did bite the bullet and intend to give it a really good go to become very familiar with it. Not sure I like tha nasty notification noise but I’m sure I can change that.
Thanks all.