How to Install and Use Android WhatsApp

James Davis

Feb 21, 2025 • Filed to: Manage Social Apps • Proven solutions

When it comes to Android messaging apps, hardly anything has been as popular as WhatsApp since its launch. It is virtually ubiquitous in most of Europe, the Middle East, and Latin America. Why? It’s free to use, doesn’t have ads, and even lets you make international voice and video calls for free. The best feature is its end-to-end encryption, meaning your chats are mostly private and secure.

It can be daunting if you’re new to it, but don’t worry; this guide is here to help. In this comprehensive article, you’ll learn how to download WhatsApp on Android and use it, as well as things to do when you mistakenly delete messages.

Part 1. How to Install and Register WhatsApp Messenger on Android
Part 2. How to Use WhatsApp Android Messenger
Part 3. How to Recover Deleted Messages from WhatsApp

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Part 1. How to Install and Register WhatsApp Messenger on Android

WhatsApp is the most popular communication service worldwide. So, install WhatsApp and connect with your loved ones today.

But before you learn to install and register for WhatsApp Messenger, understand the prerequisites:

Users must have a working phone number and a stable internet connection.
The device must be compatible with the Whatsapp messenger and have an Android OS 5.0 or newer.
A valid mobile plan to receive SMS or calls to verify your account.
Tablets, except the calling ones with SIM support, aren’t WhatsApp compatible, but there are still workarounds.

Without further ado, here’s how to install WhatsApp on the Android platform:

Step 1: On your Android smartphone, navigate to the Google Play store, look for “WhatsApp Messenger,” and install the app. Alternatively, you can visit the link “https://www.whatsapp.com/android” on your device, download the “apk” file, and complete the installation. Please note that in the latter way, check if you’ve “allowed” installation from “unknown sources” in the Settings.

Step 2: Launch the app and approve the requisite permissions. Then, it asks you to input the phone number, so put one that’s already present in your Android device and tap “Confirm.”

Step 3: Input the verification code you received via SMS. Whatsapp detects and validates the phone number automatically, provided the number is present on the device.

You can also choose to register another number with WhatsApp (one that’s not present on your smartphone); in that case, you need to input the code manually. Also, if you didn’t receive an SMS, tap on the “call” button to verify the number using a code conveyed through the call.

Step 4: Now, you’re registered to Whatsapp and ready to chat with any contacts active on the messaging platform. In the next steps, you can input your name and upload a profile picture so your contacts can recognize you or choose to do it later.

Tip: Once registered, tap the three dots at the top right corner of the dashboard followed by “Settings”> “name, picture” and “about” to change your profile picture and name and add a short bio. You can also change the phone number from the same page; the process is the same as the initial setup. It’ll send you a verification code via SMS, and once confirmed, Whatsapp imports all your contacts and chats.

Part 2. How to Use WhatsApp Android Messenger

Now that your profile is set and all your contacts are synced, it's time to answer the question: How to use WhatsApp on an Android phone? The first thing you do when you open the app is chat!

How to Chat on WhatsApp

Follow the steps to start chatting with your contacts:

Step 1: The first window that opens after registration doesn’t have any chats open, but you can tap on the “Chats” icon in the bottom-left corner to start a new conversation.

Step 2: From the contacts list, select and tap on the one you want to converse with. It opens a brand new window, and all that’s left is to type your message at the bottom of the screen. Then, tap the arrow icon on the text box’s right side to send the message.

How to Create a WhatsApp Group

Aside from one-to-one chatting, WhatsApp allows you to create a group of up to 1,024 contacts and chat with them simultaneously. You only need to create a group, add the contacts, and start chatting. If your contacts already are in a group, ask them to add you, or you can create one of your own. Here’s how:

Step 1: On the “Chats” tab of WhatsApp, tap on three dots in the top-right corner, and from the drop-down menu, select “New group.”

Step 2: Select the contacts with whom you want to form your group and tap on the “arrow” at the bottom-right corner.

Step 3: Type in the group name and add any relevant picture in the photo box. The picture will appear to all the contacts in your group. You can update permissions so that only certain people can change the group name and icon.

Step 4: Your group is now created. To add new participants, tap on the group name, scroll down to find the “Add members” option, and tap on it. As you created the group, you are its “admin” by default, but you can also make another contact an admin, so he can add or remove any members if needed. To do so, tap on the contact, followed by “make group admin” from the pop-up menu. You’re now good to go!

How to Send Attachments to Contacts on WhatsApp

You can also send attachments (including images, audio, video, documents, and contacts) to your contacts on WhatsApp. Here’s how:

Step 1: Tap on a contact with whom you wish to share photos and videos and tap on the “paper clip” icon right next to your text box.

Step 2: Select and tap on the type of attachment you want to send, followed by the file. Send the attachment by tapping the arrow icon beside your text box.

WhatsApp has a built-in camera with which you can click a photo or video and send it directly to a contact, but it’s better to use your normal camera to take a picture and select it from the gallery to send. This way, you get way more editing options, and the resulting photos are much higher quality.

How to Call Using WhatsApp

Aside from conversing via text messages, the ability to make international voice and video calls is one of the most useful features of WhatsApp. It uses your internet connection, so calls are completely free as long as you’ve enough internet data.

To make a voice call, open a chat window and tap the phone icon on the top right. And if it’s a group chat, you can select the contacts you want to call simultaneously. Making a video call is just as simple as you just tap on the video camera icon next to the phone icon.

Part 3. How to Recover Deleted Messages from WhatsApp

Now that you’ve learned how to install WhatsApp on your Android phone and use it, there might come a situation when you mistakenly delete or lose your chats. Although WhatsApp keeps a backup of your chats for a certain timeframe, if you allow it for that, even after that, you might not retrieve the chat you’re looking for.

This has become more common nowadays; you may feel helpless and think there’s no way back. But fret not, Wondershare Dr. Fone - Data Recovery (Android) is there for your rescue.

This powerful third-party app lets you recover deleted messages from WhatsApp in just a few easy steps and clicks. The best part about it is that this can be done even if you haven’t backed up your chats. Here are some other features of Dr. Fone's program.

Aside from WhatsApp chats, Dr. Fone supports most data types, be it photos, videos, messages, browser data, and others.
It recovers data from a phone that’s completely broken or isn’t turning on.
It supports most Android devices alongside other platforms like Windows, iOS, and MacOS.
Aside from your phone’s internal storage, it can scan and extract data from your SD card.
Fone previews the data before recovery so you can get the needed selective data.

Steps to Recover Deleted WhatsApp Messages from Android devices

Follow the steps to recover your deleted or lost data:

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Step 1: Download Dr. Fone - Data Recovery (Android) on your computer, and as it’s complete, install and launch the program.

launch dr. fone

Step 2: From the new popped-up window, select “Data Recovery” followed by the “Android” device.

select android

Step 3: Then tap on “Recover Whatsapp Data” from the list of options and connect your Android smartphone to the computer. Wait for some time for the program to detect your smartphone, and follow step-by-step instructions thereafter.

recover whatsapp data

Step 4: If WhatsApp isn’t installed on your phone, download, install, and launch the app and proceed to complete the account setup. Then, it asks you to restore your previously backed-up file, and if there’s any, click on “Restore.” If the app is already installed, it asks you to turn the auto-backup off, and once you do, tap “Next” on the Dr. Fone app.

Step 5: The program scans and retrieves all your WhatsApp data from your Android phone. Then, select the location where you want to retrieve all the data and click on the “Export” button.

It hardly takes a few seconds to minutes, depending on the type of data it’s retrieving, and this is probably one of the most effective ways to do so.

Conclusion

With that out of the way, you’ve learned how to download WhatsApp on Android and use it as your go-to messaging application. Irrespective of which Android device you’re rocking, these instructions stay the same, and you can stay connected with your friends and family all the time for free.

But things can go wrong if you accidentally delete WhatsApp messages or lose your Android device. Don’t fret—as long as you have a functional computer and Dr. Fone — Data Recovery (Android) installed, you’ll be able to recover long-lost WhatsApp data with ease.

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