Most people would agree that WhatsApp is an incredibly useful app, but many have misconceptions about what it does. Some believe that WhatsApp is just a messaging app, while others think it’s just for talking to your friends. Some users don’t even know that WhatsApp is capable of so much more. There are so many hidden features that WhatsApp users take for granted, including how it can be used to cheat on your spouse, track your kids, send voice messages, play games, and so much more.
For those who are new to WhatsApp, it is a free application made by Facebook for sending instant messages to your friends. It is mostly used across mobile phones, desktops, and other mobile devices. It is also the most popular messaging app in the world. The app has sent messages to more than one billion people across the world. It is the most used chat app in the world. WhatsApp is different from other messaging apps. It has no option to post pictures. It also doesn’t have any tools for group chats. It also does not let you block messages.
WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging apps in the world, but is also one of the most controversial. At its core, it’s a great messaging app if you can get over its old school design and the fact that the company is based in the U.S. Unlike many other messaging platforms, though, WhatsApp allows users to exchange text, voice, and video messages, making it appealing to users who are looking to send multimedia content.
WhatsApp is one of the most widely used messaging applications, yet it is far from flawless. The Cons, which range from privacy issues to various drawbacks, may deter some users from using the program.
Today, we’ll go through the whole list of WhatsApp’s Pros and Cons so you can make an informed choice about whether or not to keep using the messaging program – or start using it if you haven’t already.
And, despite the fact that both lists would be very lengthy, with significant Pros and Cons, my personal opinion is that, despite its flaws, Whatsapp is still an excellent instant messaging software with a lot to offer and can be used without difficulty.
However, you may determine for yourself whether that is the case in your situation. Let’s take a look at all of the WhatsApp Pros and Cons right now!
Advantages of Using WhatsApp
We’ll start with the advantages of the instant messaging software, since they’re the most essential and outnumber the disadvantages.
1. Audio and video calls are both free.
You may make free audio-only or video calls to anybody in your contact list. Although you will require an active internet connection, the App will not charge you for your calls.
Even better, the software is streamlined and consumes little bandwidth, so you won’t waste a lot of data on audio or video conversations if you’re on a limited internet connection (such as mobile internet).
This is a big benefit for people who don’t have great phone plans and for international calls.
2. Added security (through encryption)
End-to-end encryption is used by WhatsApp to make your communications as secure as possible. This means that the contents of your communications, whether they be text, pictures, videos, or audio recordings, will be seen only to you and the person with whom you are talking.
Even WhatsApp and its engineers do not have access to these archives, ensuring that your chats remain as secure and private as possible.
3. Free to use & no ads
The fact that the app is totally free to use is a big plus. You don’t have to pay anything to use WhatsApp, and there are no advertisements or offers to bother you while you’re using it.
From this perspective, it’s really wonderful and nearly incredible – but true.
4. Multi-platform (laptop/desktop app included)
You may use WhatsApp on any platform and communicate with individuals who have the program installed on their devices.
This means you can use it on Android phones, as well as iPhones and iPads, as well as desktop and laptop PCs. You will need an account established on your phone for the latter to function… but apart from that, you can use it on any platform and communicate with people on any platform. It’s very awesome!
5. Simple group chat
Creating groups and chatting with many individuals in the same group is extremely simple. As a result, it’s a great messaging tool for companies, projects, and even simply ordinary groups of friends.
Only group administrators have the ability to add new members (and promote others to admins), but you may communicate with anybody in the group and exchange files.
Individual messages may be replied to by just swiping right over them, which helps keep the usually chaotic WhatsApp groups a little more orderly.
6. Messages in conversations may be easily deleted.
You may remove a message for all users for one hour after sending it to a person or group. So, if you accidentally send a message to the incorrect person or group, or just wish to undo it, you may quickly erase it for everyone if you discover your error within one hour.
You may still delete any message from the chat archive after one hour, but just for yourself. It will remain in the personal archives of the other user(s) to whom it was sent.
7. Message delivery status
It’s extremely simple to see whether your message was delivered, received, and/or read. WhatsApp displays this information using a tiny symbol in a variety of colors.
A single gray check mark will appear next to the message if it was successfully delivered. Two gray check marks indicate that the message was sent properly. The message has been read if there are two blue check marks.
8. You may transmit a variety of file formats.
You may send different kinds of files to any of your contacts by attaching and sending them (or groups you are part of). This encompasses a wide range of media, including papers, pictures, audio files, and movies.
9. GIFs are accepted.
You may simply send GIFs via WhatsApp if you want a little of movement and additional fun in your conversations.
Tenor is built right into the app and gives you access to tens of thousands of GIFs. Simply use the search box to find GIFs that interest you and send them to your contacts with a single touch.
10. Share your current location.
Sharing your precise position straight in the app is a really helpful tool for letting someone know where you are.
So, whether you’ve discovered a new restaurant or bar that you’d want to invite your friends to, or if you’re just at a place where you’d like to meet up with others, sharing the location is as simple as tapping a few buttons.
11. WhatsApp broadcast lists and tales
WhatsApp now enables you to post tales that will only be accessible to all of your friends for 24 hours, similar to most social networks (or other messaging applications).
You may also use the broadcast lists function to send a message to a large number of individuals without having to create a group. You may store these lists for later use and send messages to many people at the same time, which is quite convenient!
12. Siri has been incorporated.
The software has Siri compatibility, which should please iOS users. Siri can read and send messages, as well as make phone calls to your contacts, as a result of this.
13. Very simple to use
You don’t need to be an expert to utilize WhatsApp without difficulty. While some of the functions may need some experimentation, the program as a whole is simple and clear.
If you’ve used other texting applications, you should feel right at home using WhatsApp. Even the most complex options (which presumably don’t matter to 90% of users) are just a few of clicks away.
14. Backups and restores are simple.
Your whole conversation history may be simply backed up and moved to a new phone. You may also use this backup function to change your current phone number and pick up where you left off.
Backups will be stored to your Google Drive account and may be turned off if desired. You may also create backups but disregard videos (to keep file sizes low).
Go to Settings – Chats and scroll down to Chat Backup to see all of your backup choices.
The Drawbacks of WhatsApp
While the software is functional, it is not without flaws. There are several drawbacks to utilizing it. The following are some of the disadvantages of WhatsApp that you should be aware of.
1. Adding contacts requires the use of a phone number.
You’ll need their actual phone number in order to create a new contact. It’s the same with individuals who want to add you on Facebook – you can’t do it until you have their phone number.
While this isn’t usually an issue since you’re only meant to speak to individuals you know, it might be in specific circumstances.
2. Concerns about privacy (groups and otherwise)
When it was discovered that some of your data was shared with Facebook, there was a major uproar about privacy issues with WhatsApp.
Various use records are shared, according to their Privacy Policy, including how frequently and for how long you use the app, your time zone and language, OS system, and even your IP address.
The actual content of your communications, on the other hand, is never shared and cannot be seen, heard, or viewed by other parties.
Additionally, if you are a member of a group, your profile photo and phone number are visible to all members of that group. As a result, it’s best not to join random WhatsApp groups where strangers may be searching for such information.
3. The usage of the internet is needed.
Without internet, the app is almost worthless. Of course, if you or your pals don’t have an active internet connection, you shouldn’t expect to be able to communicate with them.
4. You’re signed in at all times.
WhatsApp does not allow you to log out. You’re constantly logged in, which means that if someone gains access to your phone, they’ll have immediate access to all of your conversations and contacts.
So keep your phone close to you at all times and set up that PIN code to prevent strangers from seeing your personal conversation logs.
5. You have the ability to download a large number of files to your device.
If you don’t tell it differently, WhatsApp will automatically download any files sent to you, even big video clips. This contains images and videos from organizations that you may or may not be interested in.
While there are limitations on the maximum file size you may transmit (more on that below), they can rapidly accumulate and consume your phone’s capacity.
Thankfully, you may enable settings to have some control over this. You may tell WhatsApp not to download things until you touch them, for example.
If you don’t want to retain them, be sure to remove them on a regular basis, or you’ll run out of space sooner rather than later.
6. You won’t be able to change the names of your contacts.
The software syncs with your phone’s contact list, and WhatsApp will utilize whatever name you give those people. You can’t alter or edit them until you change the name in your phone’s contact list.
While this isn’t a major issue, it may be considered a disadvantage if you desire more control over the names of your contacts for purposes such as simpler identification.
7. Limitations on file size
While you may transmit a variety of file formats to your contacts through WhatsApp, you cannot send large files. In the instance of Con #5, this is a positive thing, but it may be irritating in certain situations.
You can only transmit files up to 16MB in size for pictures, video, and audio snippets (which isn’t much!). Documents, on the other hand, may be up to 100MB in size (including zip files containing bigger video clips, for example).
If you really must transmit a bigger video, you may be able to discover a solution.
Is it safe to use WhatsApp?
Yes, after weighing all of the advantages and disadvantages, we can conclude that WhatsApp is safe to use. While no software is completely secure, WhatsApp is one of the few that prioritizes privacy and security. Your communications are secured by end-to-end encryption, and the app itself is well-protected against external assaults.
Of course, you should use care while using the app in general. Don’t give out your contact information to strangers, and be cautious about the organizations you join.
Users may post links to hazardous websites, and some of your personal information (particularly your phone number) is accessible to everyone in a group, as well as all of your connections. In other words, this is an instant messaging software, not a social networking platform, and you should only use it to communicate with individuals you know.
Conclusion
When it comes to WhatsApp and all it has to offer, the Pros greatly outnumber the Cons. Because it’s such a popular app, chances are that everyone you know either uses it or has it loaded on their smartphone, which makes communicating much simpler.
While it isn’t flawless, it is without a doubt one of the finest messaging applications available, and it continues to be our favorite. It’s been number one for years, and we don’t expect that to change very soon.
But let’s get back to you. Are there any more advantages or disadvantages that we haven’t mentioned? Please let us know what you think in the comments area below.
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WhatsApp is an incredibly useful messaging app for smartphone owners, but with a large number of functions and its own limitations, it has become a point of consternation for many users. In this article, we intend to cover 2 FAQs related to this app: why is WhatsApp so popular and what are the pros and cons of this app?. Read more about disadvantages of whatsapp web and let us know what you think.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the pros and cons of the WhatsApp?
The pros of WhatsApp are that it is free, easy to use, and has a large user base. The cons are that there is no encryption, which means your messages can be intercepted by hackers or governments.
What are the cons of WhatsApp?
The cons of WhatsApp are that it is not free, and there is a limit to the number of people you can message.
What are the bad things about WhatsApp?
The bad things about WhatsApp are that it is not encrypted, and it has a lot of ads.
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