How to use WhatsApp: a step-by-step guide for beginners

This guide is for anyone who has heard about WhatsApp from family or friends and wants to give it a try without feeling rushed or confused. By the time you reach the end, you'll know how to set up an account, send a message, make a free call, share a photo, and take part in a group chat. No prior experience needed.

WhatsApp is a free app that lets you send messages, make voice and video calls, and share photos with anyone who has the app installed, whether they're in the next street or on the other side of the world. It uses your Wi-Fi or mobile data connection rather than your phone's text-message allowance, so there's nothing extra to pay beyond your usual broadband or data plan.

It's owned by Meta (the same company as Facebook), but you don't need a Facebook account to use it.

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Step 1: Download WhatsApp

The app is free to download on both Apple and Android devices.

On an iPhone or iPad: tap the light blue App Store icon on your home screen. Tap the magnifying glass at the bottom, type "WhatsApp", and tap Search. The official app is called WhatsApp Messenger and is published by WhatsApp LLC. Tap "Get", then confirm with your Face ID, fingerprint, or Apple ID password.

On an Android phone or tablet: open the Google Play Store (the multicoloured triangle icon). Tap the search bar at the top, type "WhatsApp", and select WhatsApp Messenger from the results. Tap "Install".

The download takes a minute or two on a decent Wi-Fi connection.

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Step 2: Verify your phone number

Open the app once it has installed. You'll be asked to agree to WhatsApp's terms of service - tap "Agree and Continue" to proceed.

Next, enter your mobile phone number. Make sure you're using the number of the phone you have in your hand, as WhatsApp will send a six-digit code to that number by text message. When the text arrives, WhatsApp will usually fill in the code automatically. If it doesn't, simply type the six digits yourself and tap "Next".

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Step 3: Set up your profile

After verification, WhatsApp will ask for your name. This is what your contacts will see when they message you, so use whatever feels natural - your first name, or first and last name.

You can also add a profile photo at this stage. Tap the camera circle and choose a photo from your gallery, or take a new one. This is entirely optional; plenty of people skip it. You can always add or change your photo later by going to Settings (the cog icon at the bottom right) and tapping your name at the top.

Once you've entered your name, tap the green arrow to continue. WhatsApp will now search your phone's contacts to find anyone else who uses the app. You don't need to do anything here; it happens automatically.

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Step 4: Send your first message

This is the bit most people are itching to try.

On an iPhone, tap the speech bubble icon in the top right corner of the main screen. On Android, tap the green speech bubble icon (usually at the bottom right). Then tap "New Chat".

You'll see a list of your phone contacts who are already on WhatsApp. Tap the name of the person you want to message. Their chat window opens. At the bottom of the screen there's a white bar that says "Message" - tap it, type your message, then tap the green send button (it looks like a paper aeroplane).

That's it. Your message will arrive on their phone in seconds, wherever they are.

A small tick next to your message means it has been sent. Two ticks mean it has been delivered to their phone. Two blue ticks mean they've read it.

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Step 5: Make a voice or video call

WhatsApp calls are free. They use your internet connection rather than your phone network, so there's no charge for calling a grandchild in Australia, for example.

Open a conversation with the person you'd like to call. At the top right of the screen you'll see two icons: a telephone handset and a video camera. Tap the handset for a regular voice call, or the camera for a video call where you can see each other.

The call connects within a few seconds. To end it, tap the red circle with a phone icon.

A quick note on quality: calls work best on a strong Wi-Fi connection. If the picture or voice is choppy, moving closer to your router usually helps.

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Step 6: Send a photo

Sharing photos is one of the things WhatsApp does best. Opening pictures of grandchildren, holidays or a new kitchen extension takes only a moment.

Open the chat with the person you want to share a photo with. On iPhone, tap the plus icon (+) to the left of the message bar. On Android, tap the paperclip icon. A menu will appear - tap "Photo & Video Library" (iPhone) or "Gallery" (Android). Browse to the photo you want, tap it to select it, and tap the green send button.

You can send several photos at once by tapping and holding on multiple images before pressing Send.

The person will see the photos arrive in the chat, and they can tap on any image to view it full-size or save it to their own phone.

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Step 7: Join or start a group chat

Group chats are where WhatsApp really comes into its own for families. Everyone in the group can see all the messages, which means you don't have to send the same update to six different people individually.

To create a new group: tap the new chat icon, then tap "New Group". Select the contacts you want to include by tapping their names (they'll get a green tick as you add them). When you've added everyone, tap the green arrow. Give the group a name (something like "Smith Family" or "Book Club") and tap the green tick to finish.

The group chat opens immediately. Anyone in the group can send messages, photos and voice notes, and everyone else will see them.

If someone else has already created a group and wants to add you, they can do that from their end; you'll simply receive a notification that you've been added. You don't need to do anything to accept it.

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A few things worth knowing

WhatsApp messages are end-to-end encrypted. That's a technical way of saying that only you and the person you're messaging can read them; not WhatsApp, not your phone provider, not anyone else. For ordinary family chats and sharing photos, it's as secure as anything you're likely to use.

You don't pay per message or per call. The only cost is your usual internet connection. If you're on a mobile data plan with a limited allowance and you're not on Wi-Fi, sending a lot of photos or making long video calls can eat into your data. Most home broadband connections are unlimited, so at home there's nothing to worry about.

Your WhatsApp account is linked to your phone number, not a username or password. If you get a new phone, you can transfer your account by following the setup steps again on the new device and verifying the same number.

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