Help Article | How to use WhatsApp responsibly
- Communicate with known contacts: Only send messages to those who have contacted you first or have requested you contact them on WhatsApp. It's best to give contacts your phone number so they can message you first.
- Ask for permission and respect boundaries: You should get permission from contacts before you add them to a group. If you add someone to a group and they remove themselves, honor their decision.
- Use group controls: We've created an admin only message setting for WhatsApp groups. If you're an admin, you can decide if all participants or only group admins can send messages within the group. Using this feature can help cut down unwanted messages in groups. Learn how to change group admin settings on Android, iPhone, KaiOS or Web and Desktop.
- Think twice before forwarding messages: We created a label for all forwarded messages and limit the number of times you can forward messages as a way to encourage users to reconsider before sharing. If you aren’t sure whether something’s true or don’t know who wrote the message, we don’t recommend forwarding it. Learn more about preventing the spread of misinformation in this article.
- Unwanted messages: If a contact asks you to stop messaging them, you should remove the contact from your address book and refrain from contacting them again.
- Automated or bulk messages: Don't bulk message, auto-message, or auto-dial using WhatsApp. WhatsApp uses both machine learning technology and reports from users to detect and ban accounts that send unwanted automated messages. Also, don't create accounts or groups in unauthorized or automated ways, or use modified versions of WhatsApp. For more information on how WhatsApp prevents abuse of automated and bulk messaging, you can read this white paper.
- Using contact lists that aren’t yours: Don’t share phone numbers without consent or use data obtained from illicit sources to message users on WhatsApp or add them to groups.
- Over-using broadcast lists: Messages sent using a broadcast list will only be received when users have added your phone number to their contact list. Please keep in mind, frequent use of broadcast messages may lead people to report your messages, and we ban accounts that are reported multiple times.
- Harvesting personal information: Avoid extracting information from WhatsApp at scale, using an automated or manual tool, for any unpermitted purposes. The acquisition of information from users in this way, including phone numbers, user profile pictures, and statuses from WhatsApp violates our Terms of Service.
- Violating our Terms of Service: As a reminder, our Terms of Service prohibit, amongst other things, publishing falsehoods and engaging in illegal, threatening, intimidating, hateful, and racially or ethnically offensive behavior. You can review our Terms of Service here.
WhatsApp
Features
TEXTS
Simple,
Reliable Messaging
Message
your friends and family for free*. WhatsApp uses your phone's Internet
connection to send messages so you can avoid SMS fees
GROUP
CHAT
Groups to
keep in touch
Keep in touch with the groups of people that matter the most, like your family or coworkers. With group chats, you can share messages, photos, and videos with up to 256 people at once. You can also name your group, mute or customize notifications, and more.
WHATSAPP
ON WEB AND DESKTOP
Keep the
Conversation Going
With
WhatsApp on the web and desktop, you can seamlessly sync all of your chats to
your computer so that you can chat on whatever device is most convenient for
you. Download the desktop app or visit web.whatsapp.com to get started
WHATSAPP
VOICE AND VIDEO CALLS
Speak
Freely
With
voice calls, you can talk to your friends and family for free*, even if they're
in another country. And with free* video calls, you can have face-to-face
conversations for when voice or text just isn't enough. WhatsApp voice and video
calls use your phone's Internet connection, instead of your cell plan's voice
minutes, so you don't have to worry about expensive calling charges.
* Data
charges may apply. Contact your provider for details.
END-TO-END
ENCRYPTION
Security
by Default
Some of
your most personal moments are shared on WhatsApp, which is why we built
end-to-end encryption into the latest versions of our app. When end-to-end
encrypted, your messages and calls are secured so only you and the person
you're communicating with can read or listen to them, and nobody in between,
not even WhatsApp.
PHOTOS
AND VIDEOS
Share
Moments that Matter
Send
photos and videos on WhatsApp instantly. You can even capture the moments that
matter to you most with a built-in camera. With WhatsApp, photos and videos
send quickly even if you're on a slow connection.
DOCUMENTS
Document
Sharing Made Easy
Send PDFs, documents, spreadsheets, slideshows and more, without the hassle of email or file sharing apps. You can send documents up to 100 MB, so it's easy to get what you need over to who you want.
VOICE
MESSAGES
Say
What's On Your Mind
Sometimes,
your voice says it all. With just one tap you can record a Voice Message,
perfect for a quick hello or a longer story.