Four years ago, when Linda and I left the United States, I had never used WhatsApp. Now I use it every day and couldn’t live without it.
So, it still surprises me when I mention WhatsApp to a stateside friend and they have no idea what I am talking about. For the uninitiated, let me give you a brief overview.
WhatsApp is a free communications app that lets you send messages, make calls or video calls, and share photos, videos, documents, and voice messages with anyone else who has the app. It works anywhere you have Wi-Fi or mobile data.
All you need to do is download the app and register using your telephone number.
You already have a phone. You can call people, send text messages, use Facebook Messenger, or send an email. Isn’t WhatsApp a little redundant?
Well, yes and no.
The bank robber Willie Sutton reportedly replied, when asked why he robbed banks, “Because that’s where the money is.”
WhatsApp is widely used throughout Europe, particularly by hotels, restaurants, tour operators, small businesses, and local service providers. You will often see the WhatsApp logo and contact number on websites, menus, business cards, and signs.
Let’s say you are traveling in Italy and need a haircut or manicure. You could call the barber or nail salon, but chances are your Italian isn’t as good as it once was.
If the business uses WhatsApp, you can simply send a message asking whether they have an opening. Depending on the phone, language, and version of WhatsApp being used, messages may be translated directly within the app. You can also copy the message into another translation app when necessary.
This gives you time to understand the reply and compose an answer without struggling through a telephone conversation.
The same thing works with hotels, restaurants, tour guides, drivers, Airbnb hosts, and other businesses.
Perhaps your train is running late and you need to tell your hotel that you will arrive after the reception desk closes. Calling from an American number can sometimes be confusing. Do you need the country code? Will the call go through? Will the recorded message or voicemail be in Italian?
Send the hotel a WhatsApp message instead. Problem solved.
WhatsApp calls use Wi-Fi or mobile data rather than your regular telephone calling plan.
Let’s say you and your partner are spending the afternoon shopping separately. You have a data plan on your phone, or you are sitting in a café with Wi-Fi, but neither of you has a local telephone number.
You find an amazing pair of shoes and need immediate advice.
Call your partner on WhatsApp just as you would make a regular telephone call. If they don’t answer, send a photo of the shoes with a message. You can also leave a voice message or send a short video.
WhatsApp itself does not charge for the call or message, although it does use some of your mobile data when you are not connected to Wi-Fi.
One of the best WhatsApp features is the ability to create groups.
The group can be something organized, such as a club, reunion committee, or neighborhood association. It can also be spontaneous and temporary.
Last Christmas, Linda and I met our family in Lisbon. We created a Lisbon Christmas WhatsApp group where everyone could communicate, share locations, post photos, and update the others about what they were doing.
Linda and I also belong to several informal social groups where we plan parties, outings, dinners, or meetups at a bar.
Groups can create events with the time, location, description, and other information. Members can respond to let everyone know whether they are coming, and event reminders can be sent through the group.
You can also send documents, photographs, videos, map links, and other information directly to the group.
WhatsApp includes other features, such as Communities and Channels, but you do not need to know about all of that to begin using it. Messages, calls, and groups are enough for most travelers.
You can connect with another WhatsApp user by entering their telephone number, including the international country code.
An easier method is to scan their WhatsApp QR code, or let them scan yours. This immediately opens a WhatsApp conversation between you.
You can also use a WhatsApp link. When someone clicks the link on their phone or computer, it opens a conversation with you in WhatsApp.
I am not trying to make a commercial for WhatsApp. It is simply one of the most useful tools Linda and I have found while living and traveling in Europe.
It can also make it easier for us to communicate during the reunion.
You don’t have to install WhatsApp, but I encourage you to give it a try.
Connect with me on my WhatsApp account: Timothy Lorang or scan my WhatsApp QR Code.
If enough people sign up, I will create an Il Gruppo ’76 Reunion WhatsApp Group that we can use before and during the reunion.
Let me know what you think.
WhatsApp is available free for Apple and Android phones. You can also download WhatsApp for Windows or Mac.