What's Up with WhatsApp?
Of User Interfaces that Work, and Apps with Staying Power.
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From Humble Beginnings to a Global Phenomenon
One of the most famous origin stories of WhatsApp - the messaging app for those unfamiliar with it - involves its co-founder, Jan Koum, an Ukranian immigrant to the US. His friends often complained about how expensive it was to call and text from overseas.
This frustration planted the seed for what would later become a revolutionary app.
In 2003, Skype transformed telecom by offering low-cost audio and video calling using peer-to-peer protocols over the internet.
Koum wondered: Why not bring this innovation to messaging?
At the time, international students and visitors to the U.S. struggled with exorbitant charges for international calls and SMS.
Email was a cheaper alternative but lacked the immediacy and personal touch of a call or instant message.
By 2009, Jan Koum and his co-founder, Brian Acton, launched WhatsApp, driven by two core principles:
No ads.
Privacy first. End-to-end encryption was baked in from the beginning, ensuring user conversations, calls and data stayed private.
This unique feature made a huge difference for users globally, eliminating the need for encryption-only text messaging apps like Telegram or Signal.
Privacy and Security: A Key Difference
Consider Slack, a widely adopted messaging app. Slack is not end-to-end encrypted, which means your messages, files, and data are visible at the server level (in the cloud or a datacenter) to those with access to the server—such as Slack employees, contractors, and legally permitted authorities.
This requires you to trust the company’s firewall to keep your data secure.
This decision is a philosophical one made by Slack.1
In contrast, WhatsApp has been encrypted end-to-end 2 since its launch, ensuring that only the people holding the physical devices at either end can view the messages, images, or listen to calls. Any entity intercepting the data flow sees only encrypted data, not the actual content.
This level of privacy is a critical distinction for those concerned with security.
Note: Substack currently provides no information on the encryption methods used for chats or direct messages, so it's unclear whether they are encrypted. Based on this, it’s best to exercise caution when sharing personal information through Substack chats.
WhatsApp has 2.94 billion unique users globally, making it the most widely used instant messaging app. It was acquired by Facebook (now Meta) for $19.3 billion in 2014.
WhatsApp’s adoption in the U.S. has been slower compared to Asia and Europe, but post-pandemic, it has gained significant traction, with 100 million active users as of 2024. While U.S. users spend an average of 3.59 hours per month3 —compared to the global average of 16 hours—engagement continues to rise.
In this post, I’ll dive into WhatsApp’s key features and explain why it’s become one of the most widely adopted messaging apps, offering unparalleled ease of use for free.
Features That Made WhatsApp a Game-Changer
But what makes WhatsApp such a compelling choice? It’s all-in-one feature set? Encryption? It’s seamless handoffs between mobile and desktop? That its user experience is the same regardless of the device or location? The fact that it is free ?
Let’s find out by breaking down WhatsApp’s key features. 4
For those interested in a deeper look and the full story - its monetization strategy, the impact of business features, and the finer details of WhatsApp's privacy policies - consider becoming a premium subscriber.
Seamless and Rich Communication Modes
Make encrypted audio and video calls - no need to switch between iMessage for text, and Facetime for calls.
Send encrypted text messages by speaking them just as easily as typing them.
Send encrypted voice messages with the same ease as text. It’s a quick, natural way to communicate on the go. Sometimes voice messages are more convenient, especially when driving, multitasking, or when literacy is a barrier in developing nations. It’s an easy way to receive voice messages from loved ones without them having to struggle with typing!
Edit messages inline after sending them!
One-click multimodal messaging interface. Know when your messages are delivered instantly, with a simple, color-coded checkmark and timestamp. The status is in real-time, with no lag unless you're off Wi-Fi or a data network. This is much faster than sending an email to a colleague or friend. You can even block someone from seeing that you’ve read their message, though most users don’t use this feature because it prevents you from knowing when others have read yours. Here’s the code:
One grey checkmark: Message not delivered.
Two grey checkmarks: Message delivered.
Two blue checkmarks: Message read.
Instantly delete messages for everyone if you make a mistake and don’t want them to read it (before it’s been read, of course), using the "Delete for Everyone" option.
Continue conversations securely on desktop / mobile by linking devices with a personal QR code. Once linked, your chat threads update dynamically across devices.
Share Rich Media, Sharing, and Attaching Documents
Add images, videos, memes, gifs just like the other messaging apps.
Easily attach files—PDFs, Word documents, PowerPoint presentations—by clicking the paperclip icon or dragging and dropping a file. This feature streamlines the process, eliminating the need for AirDrop, emails, or moving documents between folders. Perfect for reading, printing, and sharing on the go.
Download attachments as easily as if they were sent via email, or preview them directly in the chat. Files are automatically saved to your ‘Downloads’ folder without the need to specify a destination.
Share and forward contact information with ease—the receiver can save the contact card to their phone.
Seamlessly switch between browser-based WhatsApp and the standalone app on your desktop or laptop. The experience remains just as secure as on your phone, with no missed threads/chats.
Backup all your texts to the WhatsApp cloud for easy recovery and synchronization across devices. Or turn it off!
Other Handy Features
Share your location directly within the app. Unlike using Google Maps or other location-based apps, you can simply choose to share your location in real-time. You can opt to share it once, only when the app is open, or always. Your receiver can click on the location map and view it directly in their preferred maps app.
One-click Sharing! ‘Imagine’ is a new AI generation tool for custom images. Transfer money in local currencies just like Venmo or Google Wallet if the feature is enabled in your country.
Use yourself as a recipient to share data privately. Simply search for your name in the chat, and transfer messages or attachments you want to save or download to your desktop later.
Set timers for messages to disappear automatically within 24 hours or a predefined period (up to 7 days). No need to manually delete messages anymore.
Configure backup options, and archive chats and images, when necessary.
Block users from sending you messages before they can become a sender. This is particularly useful when an unknown sender or company messages you. After reading their message, you can block them. Unless you respond or add them as a contact, they will see their messages as unread.
Report and delete messages directly within the app. You can classify them as ‘spam,’ ‘didn’t sign up,’ or ‘offensive,’ and let WhatsApp handle poor actors. No need to delete messages one by one or visit ‘unsubscribe’ sites. Simply block and clear the chat, and it disappears from your radar.
Icing on the Cake: Closed Groups
Create closed groups with friends and family, and assign admin roles to yourself or others to control access, monitor usage, and set group rules. You can add or remove users as needed.
Form closed groups based on community or interest, such as within your family, neighborhood, or apartment complex.
Restrict group memberships to pre-approved lists.
Exit groups that you no longer wish to be part of or that you were added to inadvertently.
Stay ‘Private’ by using a period (.) in your ‘Display Name’ settings and leaving your profile picture blank. Only those who have saved your number by name will see your name next to your messages; others will only see your mobile number.
Pro-tip: For extra privacy, use your phone’s eSIM (virtual SIM) feature to set up a different mobile number for WhatsApp. This way, no one will know your personal phone number, while you can still use the same device.
Monetization
Returning to the story of Whatsapp’s launch, the founders initially tried to charge an annual fee of 99 cents which led to some short-term profits, but user adoption dropped massively.
So they reversed course, and enabled it for free, with a caveat in their terms that they may one day charge for it.
After Facebook’s acquisition, WhatsApp's 'free' nature has posed a challenge for monetization, especially given its hefty acquisition price.
Early attempts to share user data for monetization purposes led to a mass migration to alternatives like Telegram and Signal, forcing Facebook to backtrack on its privacy breaches.
As of now, WhatsApp remains free, ad-free, and committed to user privacy.
Facebook does share some user data between WhatsApp, Facebook, and Messenger to find common users that use services of its ad-paying businesses on Facebook. But if you avoid using those other services, it won’t affect you.
You can also opt out of personalized ads, minimize contact sharing, and take other steps to limit data spread.
WhatsApp for Business
One way Facebook has found to monetize WhatsApp is through WhatsApp for Business—a service that allows businesses to provide customer support via WhatsApp, managed by third-party teams, including Facebook.
As users increasingly abandon traditional methods like email, businesses have been encouraged to connect with users via WhatsApp, with Facebook’s support.
However, due to WhatsApp's privacy measures, businesses must obtain user permission before reaching out on the app. If you decline permission, businesses cannot contact you.
If you use a separate mobile number for WhatsApp, as shared in the Pro-tip above, you can keep your personal and business communications separate.
Interacting with Businesses via WhatsApp
If you accept a business’s offer to contact you on WhatsApp, these interactions are generally easier to handle compared to the often frustrating chatbots on support websites.
Benefits of connecting with businesses:
Menus are more user-friendly than those on many chatbot-supported sites (before generative AI is factored in, of course).
You can place orders, make payments, and complete transactions without ever speaking to a human. Some users find this very appealing.
You can view, order, purchase, and check the status of your transactions all within the app—no need to visit company websites, create logins, or make calls.
This streamlined process works smoothly at scale.
The business pays Facebook for this service, not the consumer.
Blocking Unwanted Business Messages
If a business obtains your number and starts sending promotional messages, you can block them immediately and report them as spam or unwanted solicitation. You can delete the conversation and never hear from them again.
Imagine trying to do this with emails, SMS, or even iMessages and Messenger apps—it’s time-consuming, and you often can’t use a spam filter as easily. WhatsApp allows you to handle these interactions with far more ease and control.
The Downsides?
Well, some obvious ones are those listed below.
Groups
They can proliferate if you're not careful, and people find particular joy in sending randomly forwarded memes and wisdom without any source links, as though it were gospel. The best way to handle these:
Limit how many groups you add yourself to!
Exit the group if it turns out to be less than useful for your daily life!
Mute the group—always—so you can choose to read the messages when you wish, for some random scrolling, rather than having annoying popups from these groups.
Whatever you do, do not let coworkers or bosses into your WhatsApp world. Restrict them to your company’s private messengers like Jabber, Chime, Webex, and Slack. If not, you can no longer hide from them on WhatsApp! ;-)
Jokes aside, some close working groups use WhatsApp on desktops or mobile apps because it's just so convenient to text, share docs, and ask quick questions, compared to enterprise messengers that are clunky, bulky, and slow.
Though still encrypted, once a group gets larger, anyone can expose your messages if they wish to do harm. So, treat chats in a group as public unless it's a close group of friends and family. For instance, you may form a group for residents in an apartment complex or a neighborhood. No need for another app (like Neighbors) to connect in an easy and fast way.
AI
Meta’s AI has been introduced as an optional tool, but it feels like an unnecessary intrusion into private messaging. Given the history of widespread private data use on Facebook, I’d prefer not to use Meta AI in WhatsApp!
Meta originally preserved the firewall for user data between WhatsApp and Facebook. When it tried to break that by sharing user data for targeted ads when users were in the shared Facebook ecosystem, users migrated in droves to Telegram and Signal. Meta quickly backtracked, falling foul of European data privacy laws and Indian laws (India has the highest WhatsApp user base of 350 million) and had to offer users the option to opt-out of data sharing with Meta (FB).
WhatsApp Business
Businesses are finding it harder to reach you as people are abandoning traditional methods of communication and not responding to calls. As a result, businesses are flocking to WhatsApp as a non-intrusive way to send messages, marketing, and customer support. It works when you want to raise a ticket or get status updates so you can avoid calling customer support or doing web chats. Menus are provided, information is collated, and you can get help easily. Meta has decided to monetize WhatsApp Business, but it's still a free service for you.
The downside? Businesses may use the connection to send you ads, marketing messages, and sales offers.
Pro-Tips:
Once your customer issue is resolved, block the business.
Do not hand your mobile number to any business you don’t want to hear from. Even if you do, the nice thing about WhatsApp is that you can block them. If you ever respond to their messages, they cannot continue to communicate with you—unlike email, which requires you to unsubscribe. So, you can either ignore or block them, indicating 'Didn’t sign up', 'Spam', etc.
Conclusion
WhatsApp’s success is a testament to its user-first approach: intuitive design, cross-device compatibility, and an unwavering focus on privacy.
Why did WhatsApp become a hit so quickly and so widely?
In my view, the reasons are its:
Device-Agnostic Nature: iPhones and Androids could communicate seamlessly without feature disparity. This means you could share memes, gifs, videos, and images across your network, without worrying about the type of device on the other end.
Ease of Use: The incredibly simple, intuitive interface meant the learning curve was minimal. This aspect cannot be overemphasized. The simplicity of its interface is the most striking feature and the reason for its universal success. It's easy to master, from kids to seniors—no new tech knowledge required. With SMS, your messages disappear into the void. With WhatsApp, they never do. The Search feature is particularly helpful, as are its listings, communities, and group options.
Whether you’re looking to stay in touch with friends or streamline your business communications, WhatsApp continues to set the gold standard for messaging apps.
What feature of WhatsApp do you find most useful? Will privacy continue to be a priority for the app? Drop your thoughts in the comments below—I’d love to hear your perspective on WhatsApp’s future!
Pro-tip: Be careful sharing confidential data on Slack! Failure to encrypt on the server side is a fundamental security flaw. This is why large enterprises acquire their own chat messenger apps so company data is stored on their private data centers, and can be controlled by their IT teams.
This is true for Apple’s iMessage, though for iMessage, encryption only applies to cloud backups if you enable its "Advanced Data Protection" feature.
Meta is continually pushing new features out - including AI support while retaining the core set. Here, I focus on its best features and encourage you to avoid using AI in Whatsapp to maximize your privacy.