New To Whatsapp

[naomi24]

I’m new to WhatsApp and, not being terrible technically minded, would appreciate some advice please.

First question, can everyone on the WhatsApp contacts list see everything that’s written, or are messages between sender and addressee private?

Second question. A friend tells me she has WhatsApp and has encouraged me to get it. I have, but now find she is not among those listed on the WhatsApp contacts list. I can’t message her on WhatsApp and she can’t message me on WhatsApp. Does anyone have any idea what might be going on there?

[puzzled54]

Second question- you can add her as a contact by going into ‘new group’ which should bring up your list of contacts then you can add her name and phone number

[Prudie]

1st question no (unless you create a group I think) it's just like a normal text. I never added contacts when I got whatsapp. In my normal phone contacts list if they had it then the whatsapp symbol appeared automatically by their name and I use that.

[naomi24]

puzzled54, My list of contacts on WhatsApp have appeared automatically, and show all those in my iPhone contacts list who have WhatsApp. She is not among them. I have tried doing as you say and messaging her but the message is set via the normal iPhone, not via WhatsApp - if that makes sense. She can't message me via WhatsApp either. I can only think she doesn't have WhatsApp but she insists she does. All very odd.

[naomi24]

Thanks Prudie. That's reassuring.

[murraymints]

send her a whatsapp request like FB.. insert her phone number on the search thing

[naomi24]

Murraymints, I've done that. She ignored it because she says she already has WhatsApp.

[murraymints]

but she needs to add you to her whatsapp contacts !

[murraymints]

like FB ..if you are not added then you can't make contact

[Tilly2]

You'll get there eventually, Naomi. WhatsApp's great. (When it works.)

[naomi24]

Murraymints, by the same token I need to add her to my WhatsApp contacts and I can't because she is not on the list it's thrown up. I've just asked her if I'm on her WhatsApp list. I'm beginning to think she doesn't have it.

Tilly, I've managed to add other people, and message them, but they're on the list. Does it often fail?

[Tilly2]

Naomi, no it doesn't. It's very reliable.

Have you tried the 'invite a friend' option in settings? That might work.

[Sqad]

naomi.......if you both have WhatsApp, then on your mobile phones on the desktop, there will be the WhatsApp icon, a green circle with a handset in the centre. if that icon is missing on HER phone then she isn't on Whatsapp, if it is, then she is.

[ducksie]

If your friend's background data is disabled you won't see her on WhatsApp, same as if she was using an old handset, I sometimes turn off my mobile data and can't be seen or contacted on any of the social media/WhatsApp sites

[naomi24]

Tilly, I've tried that. She didn't think it necessary to respond because she says she already has WhatsApp. I think the point is she is not on the list it's thrown up.

sqad, I have that icon and have already successfully added people and messaged them. I think she's confused, but I can't see how she can be. She must know if she uses WhatsApp or not - and she says she does.

I think I'll have to wait for her to get back to me and tell me if I'm on her WhatsApp contacts list. If she has it I should be there.

[naomi24]

ducksie, I think her phone is quite old. I'll wait until she gets back to me and go from there.

Thanks for all your help everyone. If, once she replies, I still have no success, as Arnie would say .... I'll be back. :o)

[ducksie]

I hope you hear from her soon Naomi, I doubt she has reason to lie about what apps she's using on her phone.

[naomi24]

ducksie, oh, she wouldn't lie - I didn't mean to suggest that - but she's not au fait with technology at all. She wouldn't even google. I think she might be mistaken.

[naomi24]

Problem solved. One of her children has managed to sort it. She has two phones apparently… and unsurprisingly has had the same problem with her other contacts.

Thanks all.

[Tilly2]

So it was her and not you? There you go. :-)

[naomi24]

Tilly, since I'd managed, quite easily, to message others, I had a sneaking suspicion it might be. Who'd a guessed? :o)