Reply to: WhatsPam?

[original PM]

hangouts pulls everything together

assuming some has a google + account but if not is just sends via SMS

works quite well really....

but with the exception of overseas messages who does not have a contract with unlimited txt's

[Chuck]

I'd heard about it but held off even looking at it for ages as I'd assumed it was just the latest kiddy or Fan Boy favourite.

I now use it almost exclusively in place of SMS. It has delivery and message read confirmations, which I find useful. Delivery is, in my experience, quicker than SMS. I have a couple of group conversations running, again I find that useful.

It's nothing really special, it just adds to what SMS does, but does it really well.

[VectraMan]

Yeah but no but. Whatsapp is free internationally too, texts aren't.

If you have a free data connection. Surely you're more likely to run up your bill accidentally using a 3G data internationally than you would by sending a text.

Whatever floats your boat. It does seem like somebody has made money by taking something that everybody already had and giving it a fancy name and pretending it's new. Wish I'd thought of it.

[Chuck]

You mean like E-mail?

Yes, I suppose, but slicker, and better suited to hand-held devices.

I get thousands of free SMSs every month and as I've only ever sent about 4 of them in my lifetime the cost is not really an issue.

Then it's probably not for you. Other's find it useful.

Just part of life's rich tapestry.

[Forgotmylogin]

You mean like E-mail?

I get thousands of free SMSs every month and as I've only ever sent about 4 of them in my lifetime the cost is not really an issue.

Yes and no. WhatsApp notifies me like a text message. My business email notifies me, my personal email does not (and I don't want it to). Again, the "free SMS" thing doesn't really apply when you're abroad / have no mobile signal but do have Wifi (like on the tube), etc.

In any case, it's a choice, not a competition over whether you're right or wrong to use it.

[Platypus]

I get thousands of free SMSs every month and as I've only ever sent about 4 of them in my lifetime the cost is not really an issue.

Yeah but no but. Whatsapp is free internationally too, texts aren't.

[VectraMan]

It's a friendly alternative to SMS, which is useful if you have international contacts as messages are free. It works over wifi so is not dependant on mobile signals.

You mean like E-mail?

I get thousands of free SMSs every month and as I've only ever sent about 4 of them in my lifetime the cost is not really an issue.

[DimPrawn]

Have you tried hitting them with your selfie stick?

Or maybe setup an online gov petition to swap your iPhone for Katie Hopkins?

[Platypus]

What do people use WhatsApp for?

Well.... if you have an iPhone, and you use iMessage, then it has a tendency to pop up on your iPad and Mac too, whereas Whatsapp is just your phone handset, so it's better for exchanging messages that you wish to remain, er, just on your phone handset

EDIT: also good for group messages and free messages incl. picture messages to Android and Windows phone users since it's available on all platforms

[Platypus]

I've just had one of these - I just reported it as spam/junk

Ditto. Just this morning.

[Pondlife]

It's a friendly alternative to SMS, which is useful if you have international contacts as messages are free. It works over wifi so is not dependant on mobile signals.

I'm not quite sure what or where the catch is though. Presumably message details are harvested and sold on.

Mr Facebook owns it now doesn't he.

[Forgotmylogin]

What do people use WhatsApp for? I've got Periscope and that's completely unused as well...

I'm currently abroad, so using Wifi for messages rather than SMS.

[Chuck]

What do people use WhatsApp for? I've got Periscope and that's completely unused as well...

It's a friendly alternative to SMS, which is useful if you have international contacts as messages are free. It works over wifi so is not dependant on mobile signals.

I'm not quite sure what or where the catch is though. Presumably message details are harvested and sold on.

[Pondlife]

What do people use WhatsApp for? I've got Periscope and that's completely unused as well...

Group messaging conversations or 1 to 1 rather than texting as it's data. Bit like skype really.

[cojak]

What do people use WhatsApp for? I've got Periscope and that's completely unused as well...