How to Use WhatsApp for the First Time

WhatsApp is a free app that lets you send text messages and make voice or video calls to anyone else who has the app — anywhere in the world — without it costing anything extra on your phone bill. Instead of using your cellular minutes or text messages, it sends everything over your Wi-Fi or internet connection.

This makes it especially useful for keeping in touch with family members who live far away or in another country. A call from the United States to a family member in the Philippines, Mexico, Ireland, or anywhere else costs nothing — as long as both of you have WhatsApp and a Wi-Fi connection.

WhatsApp was created in 2009 and is now owned by Meta, the same company that owns Facebook. It has more than 2 billion users worldwide and is the most widely used messaging app outside of the United States. Your family members abroad almost certainly already have it.

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What WhatsApp does — and how it differs from regular texts and calls

Regular text messages (SMS) and phone calls use your cellular network — your carrier (AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, etc.) charges for them or counts them against your plan. International calls and texts are often very expensive.

WhatsApp sends messages and calls through the internet, the same way an email travels. As long as you and the other person are connected to Wi-Fi (or have cellular data), the communication is free. There is no per-message fee, no per-minute charge, and no international surcharge.

The key difference to understand: **both people need to have the WhatsApp app installed on their phone.** You cannot WhatsApp someone who does not have the app, just as you cannot receive an email from someone who does not have email. But once both of you have it, staying in touch costs nothing extra.

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Step 1: Download WhatsApp on your phone

WhatsApp is free to download and free to use.

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Step 2: Set up your account

1. 1Open WhatsApp after it finishes downloading.
2. 2Tap **Agree and Continue** to accept the terms of service.
3. 3You will be asked to enter your phone number. Type your full US phone number, including the area code (for example: 555-867-5309). Make sure your country is set to United States.
4. 4Tap **Next**. WhatsApp will send a 6-digit verification code to your phone as a regular text message.
5. 5WhatsApp usually detects this code automatically and fills it in for you. If it does not, open your Messages app, find the text from WhatsApp, and type the 6-digit code into the WhatsApp screen.
6. 6You will be asked to enter your name and optionally add a profile photo. Enter your first name at minimum — this is how your contacts will see you in WhatsApp.
7. 7WhatsApp will ask whether to restore a backup (if you had WhatsApp before) — if this is your first time, tap **Continue** or **Skip**.

Your account is now set up.

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Step 3: Find and message a family member

For you to message or call someone on WhatsApp, they must also have the app installed. WhatsApp automatically finds your contacts who already have WhatsApp.

1. 1Tap the **green pencil icon** (or a new chat icon) in the bottom-right corner of the screen — or tap the **Chats** tab at the bottom.
2. 2Tap **New Chat** at the top of the list.
3. 3You will see a list of your phone contacts who already have WhatsApp. Scroll through to find the family member, or type their name in the search box at the top.
4. 4Tap their name to open a conversation.
5. 5Type your message in the text box at the bottom and tap the **Send** button (a green arrow or paper plane icon). Your message is delivered instantly over the internet.

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Step 4: Make a free voice or video call

WhatsApp calls work over Wi-Fi or cellular data and are completely free, even for international calls.

1. 1Open the conversation with the person you want to call.
2. 2Look at the top-right corner of the conversation screen. You will see two icons: a **phone icon** for a voice call and a **video camera icon** for a video call.
3. 3Tap the phone icon for a regular voice call, or the video camera icon to start a video call where you can see each other.
4. 4The other person's phone will ring. When they answer, you are connected.
5. 5To end the call, tap the red phone icon.

WhatsApp calls work just like regular phone calls. You can hear the other person clearly and speak normally. The quality depends on your internet connection: a strong Wi-Fi connection produces the best call quality.

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Step 5: Join or create a family group chat

A group chat lets you send one message to multiple family members at once — for example, a family group where you can share photos, updates, and holiday plans with your children, grandchildren, and siblings all at the same time.

Once in a group, any message you send goes to everyone in the group. You can also make group voice and video calls.

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Understanding the checkmarks next to messages

When you send a WhatsApp message, small checkmarks appear next to it:

• **One gray checkmark:** Your message was sent from your phone.
• **Two gray checkmarks:** Your message was delivered to the other person's phone (but they have not opened it yet).
• **Two blue checkmarks:** The other person has opened and read your message.

This is useful for knowing whether your message got through. If you only see one gray checkmark for a long time, the other person may be out of range or have their phone off.

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Privacy and security notes

WhatsApp uses end-to-end encryption for all messages and calls — this means only you and the person you are messaging can read what is sent. WhatsApp itself cannot read your messages.

WhatsApp is owned by Meta/Facebook. Like any app, it collects some data about how you use it (such as how often you use the app and your phone's general location). If you have concerns about this, you can review WhatsApp's privacy settings: go to WhatsApp → Settings → Privacy. You can control who can see your profile photo, your status, and when you were last online.