Category Archives: SOFTWARE

Android users just got a nice present from WhatsApp – the solutions 2.16.2 beta download for their operating system is now available. The tech press indicates that this version is chock full of new capabilities and features that users will love.

The most exciting of these is end-to-end encryption which provides a very high level of security for all data sent using 2.16.2. A Wired article indicates that the new version is secure that WhatsApp itself will not be able to crack it.

Great New WhatsApp Features

Yet news articles make it clear that the encryption is only the tip of the iceberg. There are lots of other goodies for users who download and install beta. Some of the most exciting new features include:

• The ability to send and receive PDF documents via WhatsApp and to send PDFs to cloud storage solutions from WhatsApp. This means that you will be to send any document over WhatsApp by simply converting it into a PDF.

• Quicker reply which means you will be able to reply to messages without entering WhatsApp.

• The ability to activate multiple selections by pressing and holding on more than one contact profile picture at once.

• The ability to create new broadcasts and groups by simply selecting a contacts’ profile picture.

• The ability to view, delete and archive chats by simply tapping on profile pictures.

• The ability to choose from 27 colors of wall paper.

• The ability to work emojis into everyday language.

• The ability to clear a chat but keep starred messages.

• The ability to view starred messages from contact or group info.

• You can now see PDFs you’ve sent or received by tapping Media from either contact or group info.

• You can now add a PDF from Google Drive or Microsoft One Drive if you have Android 4.4 on your phone by simply tapping media in contact or group info. That means it is easier than ever to see PDFs sent to you by contacts or group members.

Best of all the new version is supposed to download and install automatically, if you are using version 2.13.535 on an Android phone. All you will need to do is to connect to Wi-Fi to get this to happen.

An Improved Camera Interface

The biggest and perhaps most exciting news about the WhatsApp 2.16.2 Beta Update for Android is a greatly improved camera interface . News reports indicate that WhatsApp’s engineers have completely updated the camera interface.

This corrects a major complaint that some users have had, namely that the camera interface has not been upgraded in a long, long time. Here are some of the new features you’ll find in the camera:

• The annoying box that appeared at the top of the screen while shooting is gone. Instead there is a small tip on how to shoot a video when you start the process.

• There are new icons for the camera and the flash.

• That ugly and annoying blue-colored shutter has been replaced with a white color button.

• All you need to do to shoot a video is to touch the white shutter button which will turn red when recording starts.

• To stop shooting a video all you will need to do is take your finger off the button.

• There is now one button for sending images and videos in the regular chat window. The big circular send and cancel buttons are now history.

• To cancel video or image sending all you will have to do is to tap the button at the top left hand corner of the screen.

• The caption box is now at the bottom which gives you a better view of the image.

Unfortunately, some of the better features on WhatsApp for iPhone such as cloud-storage integration are not yet available for Android, although they should appear in future beta testing versions.

One feature that is available right now is improved group sharing. It is now possible to share videos and photos with up to 256 in a group. This means you can send out videos or photos to all of your friends, family or coworkers.

The advent of end-to-end encryption also means that your photographs and videos are going to be far more secure on WhatsApp than ever before. That means you will be able to use WhatsApp as a sort of SMS photo album or video storage solution in the future.

How to Get the WhatsApp 2.16.2 Beta Update

The biggest drawback to the WhatsApp 2.16.2 Beta Update is that it is not available through Google Play. Instead you will have to download it from this special Google Play page .

WhatsApp is inviting people to participate in its beta testing program. This means that Android users can get access to more advanced versions of WhatsApp that contain features not yet available to the general public.

These beta versions often contain features and improved or enhanced versions of existing features. Some of them are unstable or have a few bugs but you will be able to get the latest features long before your friend and family.

If you have an Android device all you will need to do to get the beta version is to go to this Google Play Page . Once there click on Become a Tester and wait for the update.

Note: you will have to have the latest version of WhatsApp Messenger on your Android device to participate in Beta Testing. You can download the attest version 2.16.20 from this website . To get the version you will need to have a phone with Android OS 2.1 or above installed.

WhatsApp recommends that you have an unlimited data plan for the download to look properly. Unfortunately the current version of 2.16.20 is not set up to support tablet devices yet. That might change in the future so watch the WhatsApp testing page on Google Play.

If you want to keep participating in WhatsApp Beta Testing you will have to provide feedback. You will have to send feedback to the email provided. The feedback is crucial because it helps WhatsApp’s engineers improve the solution for everybody.

The team at WhatsApp is apparently very close to adding video calling to the world’s favorite messaging solution.

Pictures of what is apparently a test of a WhatsApp video call appeared on a German blog called Macerkopf on December 21, 2015. The screen shots show what could be an incoming video call in a WhatsApp screen.

As you can see from the images above, the screenshot seems to show some of the symbols seen on WhatsApp. It also shows what looks like somebody’s living room, so this could be a picture taken by a tech and sent back to WhatsApp’s corporate offices in San Jose, California.

A Christmas tree can clearly be seen on the right, which seems to confirm the December 21, 2015, date. Despite these claims, the authenticity of the images is under dispute by Android Pit . They could have been faked by any prankster with access to Photoshop.

Little more is known about the images, although Macerkopf’s writers seem to think they show video taken with an iPhone, and they used the 2.12.12 version of WhatsApp. It is not clear if this is what WhatsApp video conferencing will look like or if it is simply a test of a possible solution.

Why You Cannot Make Video Calls on WhatsApp Yet

Many users are confused by WhatsApp because you can send videos over the app right now but you cannot make video calls. That is, you can send your best friend a clip from your favorite Star Trek episode, but you cannot video chat with Aunt Cathy in Des Moines yet.

Right now, you can send almost any video through WhatsApp by attaching it. All you need to do is go to the attachment button on WhatsApp (it’s the one that looks like a paperclip) then select the video and send it. You can also add a caption to the video. It is also possible to forward videos you receive from others. For example, you can send that funny cat video to your mom.

WhatsApp will obviously have to add video calls at some point because some of its rivals, such as the very popular Viber and Skype, already offer video, although it is not in a hurry to add video calls, because there is not much demand for them in many of the areas it operates in.

Since much of WhatsApp’s business is in developing countries with limited phone systems, it obviously does not want to add additional data that might slow the system. Many customers will resist adding video calls because of the data that might take up. The high cost of making data and the limited availability of good phone service and Wi-Fi in many areas make video calls impractical in much of the world.

Another reason why WhatsApp is delaying the introduction of video calling is to see how it works elsewhere. Jan Koum and Brian Acton are shrewd enough to let others invent the technology and work out the kinks before they start their own. That way they will know what works and what will not.

So What Would WhatsApp Video Calls Look Like?

The best way to see what WhatsApp video calls might be like and how they might look is to take a look at Viber and Skype. Viber in particular is the industry standard for WhatsApp.

Currently, video calling is available on Viber 5.0 or later and can only be used on certain devices, such as iPhone 4 and computers that run iOS 7. Video calls on Viber are made through the contact screen. Users can know if they can make video calls because Viber added a video icon.

Therefore it is probable that a video icon of some sort that will enable video calls will be added to WhatsApp. The video icon will appear next to the name and picture of the contact. To send them a video, simply tap on the video icon.

Obviously, you will still be at the mercy of the call recipient because he or she will have the right to simply refuse the video calls. You will also have the right to refuse the calls as well.

To receive a video call, all you have to do on Viber is click on the video icon when the call comes in. If you do not want to receive the video call, do not tap on the video icon. Currently on Viber, all video calls begin as audio calls to give you the option whether to receive them or not.

Viber also gives users a number of options, including turning Video calls on and off, sending a text message with video calls, muting the call, and transferring the call. It is not clear whether WhatsApp will give you those options or not, but it is a strong possibility.

How to Make Video Calls Now

The best way for WhatsApp users to make video calls now is to use another messaging solution that offers video, such as Viber . That can be a real hassle because the person you are calling will also have to use that app. You will also have to sign up for two different messaging solutions, which is an even greater hassle.

There are some apps available on the App Store, Google Play, and elsewhere that claim to make it possible to add video calling to WhatsApp. It would be a good idea to avoid those because they were not created by WhatsApp. That could open the door to serious security problems and interfere with WhatsApp’s operation.

One way that you might be able to get WhatsApp Video Calling before everybody else is to sign up for a WhatsApp beta test . During beta testing, WhatsApp recruits real people to test new solutions in the real world to see if they really work. You can sign up for such a test by sending an email to [email protected].

Simply state that you want to beta test, and list your name and your occupation in the email. You will have to send the email from your phone and an email account associated with it, for example, a Microsoft account such as Hotmail for a Windows Phone or Gmail for an Android phone. WhatsApp will get back to you if they want to use you as a beta tester.

Even though there is no specific WhatsApp interface for tablets, there is a way that you can run the popular messaging solution on most tablets.

The solution is WhatsApp Web, which is simply a version of the app designed to run on computers, including PCs and Apple products. Since WhatsApp Web is designed to run on almost any computer, it can run on a tablet as well. Something that many people forget is that a tablet is simply a laptop with a different design.

Installing WhatsApp Web will help you to do anything you normally do on WhatsApp on your tablet. More importantly, it can help you save money by reducing data plan usage because WhatsApp Web operates directly over the Internet. Therefore you can use it to access WhatsApp directly over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth or by accessing the net the old-fashioned way, by plugging your tablet into a broadband outlet.

Note: If you are using your tablet as your phone, you can install regular WhatsApp on it just like a phone. That is only possible if you are not using WhatsApp on your phone. If you already have WhatsApp on your phone, you will have to install WhatsApp Web to access the solution on your tablet.

A Browser for WhatsApp

Therefore a good way to think of WhatsApp Web is as a browser to enable you to access and search WhatsApp, much as Google lets you access and search the Internet. It lets you use WhatsApp much as you would other chat and email functions on your computer.

A big advantage to WhatsApp Web is that it lets you communicate directly with persons’ phones in real time through your computer. For example, a supervisor could use it to communicate with employees in the field via her tablet. The employees could even send over data, including pictures and videos.

More importantly, WhatsApp Web can let you use the solution on both your phone and your tablet at the same time. That means you can access WhatsApp messages while you are out and about and when you are working on your tablet at home or the office.

How to Use WhatsApp Web

Even though it is basically just an extension of WhatsApp, WhatsApp Web requires a little more effort and resources to install. Here is what you will need to install WhatsApp Web on your tablet.

1. If you have a PC with a Linux or Chrome operating system, make sure that you have the latest version of Chrome, Firefox, or Opera up and running on your tablet. If you have an iPad, make sure that you have the latest version of Safari installed. This is critical because WhatsApp Web is constantly updated and will only work with the latest versions. The best way to do this it to download the latest one from the browser’s website and install it.

1. You will need an active WhatsApp account on your phone. If you do not have one, you will need to set one up.

1. You should have a stable Internet connection. This means it is a good idea to plug your tablet into a broadband connection when you install WhatsApp.

How to Install WhatsApp Web

To install WhatsApp, you will have to take these steps:

• Use the latest version of your browser to go to https://web.whatsapp.com/.

• Choose your operating system.

• Open WhatsApp on your phone.

• Go to Menu>WhatsApp Web. This is found in different places on different phones. In Android and Blackberry devices, this is in the Chat screen; in Windows Phones and Nokia S60, it is under Menu. On iPhone, it is in Settings, and on the Nokia S40, it can be swiped up from the bottom of the screen.

• Scan the QR code for that system with your phone.

• Navigate to WhatsApp Web to make sure it is active.

• Note: WhatsApp recommends that you always connect to WhatsApp Web via Wi-Fi. It is a good idea to make sure WhatsApp Web is working in Wi-Fi.

Like WhatsApp itself, WhatsApp Web is a fairly foolproof solution; once it is up and running, it should work. You should be able to access WhatsApp Web as soon as you can scan the QR code. If that does not work, you will probably need to reinstall it.

Once it is up and running, you should be able to do everything you do on WhatsApp on your tablet. That includes sending and receiving audio and video messages, documents, and pictures. It also means that you can use WhatsApp to chat with friends and colleagues on your tablet.

Make sure you keep WhatsApp Web updated. Like WhatsApp itself, the online version is constantly being improved. To work properly, you should have the latest version on your tablet.

Some WhatsApp Web Security Concerns for Tablet Users

Tablet users need to take some additional security precautions because tablets with a traditional Internet or Wi-Fi connection are less secure than phones. Since WhatsApp Web operates online, it is possible for hackers and malware to penetrate it.

A few additional precautions that you should take when using WhatsApp Web on your tablet include:

• Always turn WhatsApp Web off when you are not using it. Do not leave it up and running when you are not using it.
• Add a lock app to your WhatsApp. This keeps people from accessing it without a pin. There are many such solutions available at Google Play, the Windows Store, and the Apple Store.
• Always turn your tablet off when you are not using it, and make sure it is locked and password protected. You should do this to keep crooks from accessing your WhatsApp the old fashioned way—by stealing your tablet. Make sure you keep your tablet turned off or at least password protected when you are not using it at work or in public to keep others from reading your messages.
• Change your WhatsApp phone number and passwords if your tablet gets lost or stolen.
• Be aware of your surroundings, particularly on buses, trains, and planes and in public places like waiting rooms or lounges. Make sure nobody can read what’s on your tablet, such as your passwords, by looking over your shoulder or glancing at it.
• Do not install WhatsApp Web connected to your personal phone on a tablet that belongs to someone else, such as your employer. That could give others such as your boss access to your WhatsApp. If you want WhatsApp on your tablet, buy your own.

WhatsApp Web is a very handy solution, but there are some potential security problems you should be aware of. Understanding them can help WhatsApp Web make your life easier without giving the bad guys access to your information.

One of the big complaints about WhatsApp in recent months has been the subpar performance of the version for Widows 10. Fortunately, WhatsApp is trying to correct with a new beta program for Windows smartphone users.

The good news is that the latest version of the beta test involves many of the features available to Android and iPhone users on WhatsApp that were not available to Windows users in the past. WhatsApp is trying to make its Windows version in line with the others.

The beta version allows Windows phone users to see the new features and improvements before the public. It also lets users test out some of those features so WhatsApp’s technicians can see how they work before making them available to the public.

What’s New on WhatsApp for Windows 10

There have been significant improvements to WhatsApp for Windows, including better support for Windows 10 customers.

The biggest improvement is to get rid of the loading screen, which means the app will load a lot faster. That also greatly improves performance and addresses, one of the major complaints that users had about WhatsApp on Windows. Some other improvements include an improved user interface, and video calling could be rolled out in coming months.

Some of the other features that are being tested in WhatsApp beta version 2.12.128 for Windows Mobile include:

• New sound for messages, which could include better audio quality.

• The ability to disable sound in the notifications, which prevents the notifications from interrupting you while you’re on a call.

• The ability to quickly change your status. That means you will be able to change your status to At Work or Urgent Calls Only.

• Select messages will now appear in the app bar.

• Select messages will now appear in conversation view.

• The ability to select the quality of your voice calls. Windows Central reported that it could help you conserve data and save money. Switching to lower quality calls can sometimes reduce data use.

• Chat and call options could be consolidated to save space and make use easier.

• There will be a low data usage feature to help people with limited data plans. That means you will be able to perform basic functions like making calls without using up large amounts of data.

• Better message sharing.

• More emojis.

Unfortunately, not all these features are available in the regular WhatsApp for Windows 10. WhatsApp only sends them out to people that sign up for the beta test.

How to Sign Up for the WhatsApp for Windows Beta Test

If you want to see what is new for WhatsApp for Windows Phone, you can sign up for the beta testing program. Here is how to apply to become a beta tester for WhatsApp.

1. You will need to send an application to [email protected] using your Windows Phone and a Microsoft or Hotmail email account.

2. The application should consist of a simple message to introduces yourself and lists your job. An example of such an application is presented below.

“Hello,
My name is Clark Kent, and I work as a newspaper reporter at the Daily Planet. I would like to join the WhatsApp beta test for Windows Phone.
Thank you”

3. Make sure that you conclude the email with the words “Sent from My Windows Phone.”

4. Reply quickly to the automated response that WhatsApp sends you. If you do not, the email will never be read.

The decision whether you should participate is entirely up to WhatsApp’s staff. It might take some time for them to get back to you. Unfortunately, there is no guarantee they will choose an applicant.

The staff will contact you with the information necessary if you are selected to become a beta tester. It generally takes two or three days for the staff to get back to you. If you are selected, they will send a download link for the WhatsApp beta to your email. You may also have to scan a QR code to get the beta test to work.

You should download the beta and start using it as soon as you receive it. You should also start providing feedback because the whole idea of a beta test is to determine what real people in the real world think of the new features. The more feedback you submit, the more likely you will be asked to participate in the next beta test.

Signing up for a beta test will let you see what is new in WhatsApp and enable you to see new features before anybody else. If the new features pass the beta, they will be added to the official version of WhatsApp that is rolled out in the Windows Phone Store.

Why You Should Sign Up for a WhatsApp Beta Test

The main reason that you should sign up for a WhatsApp Test is to improve your experience with the application. WhatsApp for Windows has lagged behind the version of the application available to Apple and Android phone users. WhatsApp wants to improve that, but it needs help.

Being a beta tester could help you get an enhanced version of WhatsApp and ensure that you get the latest features. You can even get access to some of the features before everybody else.

Beta testing is vital to the success of a cross-platform messaging solution like WhatsApp because the platforms are constantly evolving and changing. WhatsApp needs to evolve and change with them too.

The developers at WhatsApp want to greatly improve the application and the experience for users. The only way to do that effectively is with a lot of beta testing. Part of the reason why WhatsApp has been so successful has been with all the successful Beta Tests.

Beta Testing is critical for Windows mobile users on WhatsApp because more time and effort have been devoted to the Android and iOS versions. Successful beta tests will enable the developers to upgrade WhatsApp for Windows to match the versions available to other users.

If you love WhatsApp and you want to make it better for all users, you should definitely consider becoming a beta tester. Beta testing is both fun and highly rewarding.

Something very surprising happened on November 16, 2015: Alphabet, Google’s parent company, and Facebook announced an intriguing alliance. On that day Google’s search engine started crawling through Facebook profiles.

Among other things, that means some data collected from Facebook sources will appear as results from Google searches conducted on smartphones, The Wall Street Journal reported . This announcement is a huge one because Alphabet’s Android is the world’s most popular mobile operating system, with one billion active users , according to Endgadget.

It means that Facebook, which owns WhatsApp, will now have access to all those Android devices and Android users. Many more users could be driven to both Facebook and WhatsApp even as many more Facebook and WhatsApp users could be driven to Google.

The Numbers Explain the New Facebook–Google Alliance

Another benefit from the deal is that Alphabet now has access to vast amounts of data generated from WhatsApp’s and Facebook’s customers. The two applications have a combined user base of 1.6 billion . On September 3, 2015, Facebook announced that WhatsApp had 900 million users; add that to the 700 million people that use Facebook Messenger, and one gets a number of 1.6 billion.

This, of course, forms the potential basis for what could be the largest platform in the world: one billion Android users, 1.6 billion WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger users, and 1.55 billion Facebook users. Obviously there is a lot of overlap here, but the implications are obvious.

Facebook has created one of the largest platforms in the world—a platform so large that even Google cannot pass it up.

Why Google and Facebook Are Burying the Hatchet

There are actually several good reasons why Facebook and Alphabet are burying the hatchet at this time, the most important of which is the nature of WhatsApp’s customer base.

WhatsApp is most popular in the developing world, particularly in Africa. Numbers provided by Statista indicate that around 78% of the Internet users in South Africa use WhatsApp. WhatsApp is also popular in Europe, particularly in Germany, where 57% of Internet users access it.

Alphabet wants to work with Facebook because it has access to a huge new customer base and vast amounts of data that Google might not be able to access. A major reason for this is that Google’s own social media solution, Google Hangouts, is a failure compared to WhatsApp.

Alphabet does not reveal the numbers for Google Hangouts, a clear indication of its failure. It did, however, try to purchase WhatsApp for $10 billion last year but got outbid by Facebook, which snapped up the service for $19 to $21 billion, First Post reported . Obviously Google would not have tried to buy WhatsApp if its own solution was succeeding.

Now Google has revealed the true extent of its social media failure by making peace with Facebook. This is surprising given the tensions and enmity between the two companies. Mark Zuckerberg was badmouthing Alphabet in interviews in the past few weeks.

Can Google Integrate with WhatsApp?

One has to wonder if this search agreement will mark the beginning of an integration between Google and WhatsApp. Such an arrangement would be highly beneficial to both companies, but it could be problematic.

Any effort to combine Google and Facebook would undoubtedly attract the attention of antitrust regulators. Google is already facing serious antitrust actions in the European Union.

It would also raise questions about surveillance and corporate power, which would increase hostility to the companies. This could create serious problems in the United States, where attacks on corporate power have become a major feature of the presidential race, particularly in the Democratic presidential primary.

Beyond that, there are some features in Google Hangouts, including video conferencing, that could be integrated with WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger fairly quickly. This would raise other concerns given Google’s focus on advertising and WhatsApp’s hostility to the practice.

Google Hangouts is a superior tool for video conferencing, which could quickly become a major business use of instant messaging and a potential revenue source. Alphabet also has active payment solutions in the form of Android Pay and Google Wallet—a key feature that both Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp lack.

Google and WhatsApp for Ecommerce

Another area of Google expertise that Facebook might want to tap is ecommerce. Alphabet has some impressive ecommerce features, including Google Shopping , Google Insurance, and Google Express, which facilitates same-day delivery services. WhatsApp could become a logical venue through which customers could access such services quickly.

Facebook is building an enormous platform with a massive customer base through WhatsApp and Messenger. It obviously needs products and services to sell to those customers, and Alphabet could provide a lot of those goods or services.

Working with Facebook could also help Google regain its edge in the war with Amazon.com for the all-important shopping search market. Forester Research discovered that 30% of product searches by American consumers started on Amazon, while only 9% started on Google Shopping, Marketing Land reported .

If that was not enough, Forester’s analysts believe that Amazon has successfully taken a large share of the shopping searches from Google. Alphabet obviously needs to find new means of driving more customers to Google Shopping. One way to do that is to set up channels that would drive customers from WhatsApp to Google Shopping.

A particularly important part of this will be introducing ecommerce services to developing economies such as those in Africa. The preferred means of accessing bank accounts and making payments in many African countries is digital payments made over smartphones, most of which use Android and WhatsApp.

If Alphabet wants to tap the growing markets in Africa, it needs to go to the platform that Africans use to access the Internet, namely WhatsApp. Some of Google’s products, particularly Android Pay and Google Wallet, could be well suited for Africa. Google could also use its expertise in developing online marketplaces for products such as insurance and financial services to create WhatsApp marketplaces for such products tailored to the African market.

So instead of enemies or rivals, Google and WhatsApp could become the most powerful force in the world of ecommerce and communications. One has to wonder what sort of revenue that could generate.

Many people will be wondering: What is the difference between Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp? After all, both solutions are easy-to-use messaging applications that are owned by the same company—Facebook.

Actually, there’s a world of difference between Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp , which are the world’s two most popular messaging applications. WhatsApp currently has around 900 million users, and Facebook Messengers has around 700 million users, according to London’s Daily Express. The third most popular messaging service, China’s WeChat, has around 600 million users, according to Statista.

Much of the difference comes from the background of the two solutions. WhatsApp originated as a standalone advertising messaging solution by two engineers from San Jose, California, Jan Koum and Brian Acton, in 2009. Facebook Messenger was a tool created as an addition to the popular social network.

Originally you had to have a Facebook page to use Messenger, although it is now available as a standalone app. Anybody can download WhatsApp from the App Store, Google Play, or the Windows Store for 99¢ USD. One reason why WhatsApp is so popular is that it is a standalone solution with no strings attached.

So Which Is Better, Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp?

Most users note that WhatsApp is actually a better solution than Facebook Messenger. Kris Carlon of the AndroidPIT blog noted that WhatsApp has fewer bugs, and it is very easy to use.

All you need to use WhatsApp is a telephone number. It is also very easy to find and reach contacts using WhatsApp because it is based on phone numbers. If a person has a phone and a messaging service, WhatsApp can reach her or him.

Since it is not linked to a larger service, WhatsApp will not offend people that dislike Facebook or those that do not use Facebook. WhatsApp can also reach people all over the world, which is one reason why it is so popular.

WhatsApp is also very secure; Wired even claimed that its security system, called Textsecure, is “practically uncrackable.” Facebook has had a long history of serious security problems; as recently as March 2015 Computing UK reported that two Facebook security flaws allowed bad guys to get control of users’ computers. Security researcher David Sopas told Computing UK that he believes millions of Facebook users could be affected by the flaw.

WhatsApp also has fewer bugs and technical problems because it is a very well-run app, Carlon noted. One reason for this is that messaging is WhatsApp’s only business; messaging is very much a sideline for Facebook even though it is a growing part of that company’s business.

Jan Koum and Brian Acton

A final attraction to WhatsApp is the lack of advertising. Koum and Acton famously hate ads and have gone out of their way to keep them off their service. This makes WhatsApp a very clean solution. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has also said that ads are not the way to monetize WhatsApp. Last year Zuckerberg told analysts that he wants to keep expanding the company and look for other money-making opportunities in the future.

Most likely Zuckerberg feels that financial transactions or ecommerce would be a better means of cashing in on WhatsApp’s users. WeChat’s owner, Tencent, has made around $1 billion in transaction fees on money transfers and purchases done through the app.

WhatsApp Vs. Facebook Messenger

The biggest and most obvious advantage to Facebook Messenger is its integration with Facebook. A person can use it to send messages, video, pictures, and audio from a Facebook page to members of his or her group.

That being said, there are a lot of problems with Messenger. Many of its users report that it simply does not work with many Internet connections. It can often be very hard to get Facebook Messenger, which defeats the purpose of instant messaging in the first place.

Another big complaint with Facebook Messenger is that it can be very hard to log out. A person has to go to Settings>Applications>Manage Applications, open Messenger and Clear Data to log out of it. This means that once you are logged into messenger you are logged in.

Some users also report that it is hard to fully disable notifications. This means a person can be spammed. Sadly enough, one of the most aggressive spammers appears to be Facebook itself which is constantly sending invitations to get your friends to sign up.

A major problem with spam is that it makes you very vulnerable for cyberattacks, including phishing, in which a bad guy sends you a fake message. The fake message contains malware that takes over your phone or steals your data.

WhatsApp Is the Better Messaging App

Currently WhatsApp is a better pure messaging app than Facebook’s offering. If you just want to send text messages and other data to friends and family, WhatsApp is certainly the better solution. It is more secure and easier to use, and it actually works.

Although, those that want to rely upon Facebook as their primary communications medium will be better served by Messenger. Messenger would also be better for those that are seeking a means of driving traffic to a Facebook page and attracting more likes.

Persons that value security will definitely be better served by WhatsApp, although its safety is far from perfect. One reason why WhatsApp is more secure is that it is not connected to a larger service like Messenger is.

What the Future Holds for WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger

Both WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger will keep growing in popularity. The capabilities of both services will probably be expanded in the future.

Both services now allow users to send audio and video messages and to make phone calls. New capabilities recently added include video calling and voice mail.

Beyond those capabilities, the next frontier is financial services, particularly money transfers and payments. Expect tools similar to PayPal’s Venmo, a popular app that allows people to send money to friends and family, or Apple Pay, which enables users to make payments from bank accounts and credit card balances with their phones, to be added to both services.

The nature of these solutions is not clear yet, but they will be the most likely means of monetizing WhatsApp and Messenger. Other potential additions might include a taxi service like Uber and some sort of ecommerce solution similar to Amazon.com.

One thing is certain: Both Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp are here to stay, and both will grow dramatically in popularity in the years ahead.