This guide is going to show you the best route to update your WhatsApp service from both the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. Also, I will show you some “alternative methods”.
Hello everyone , and welcome to my blog. It is Frankie Caruso here, and I am an expert in instant messaging apps like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger. I’m also very passionate about hacking techniques.
If you’re reading this guide, then you want to know the process of updating your WhatsApp service.
There are many reasons that might be inspiring you to do this – you could be dealing with an abundance of crash issues, you could want to have an updated emoji selection, or you just want the latest version so that everything runs correctly.
No matter – you are in the right place!
With my help, you can learn how to update your iPhone and Android versions of WhatsApp from the respective official stores. But beyond this, I also have a trick for downloading the latest version of the app without using one of the official stores at all. I also wanted to take a moment in this guide to answer frequently asked questions that appear on the web about the subject.
Let’s not waste any more time and get right to it. Get comfy and get to reading.
Frankie’s Take:
Updating your WhatsApp service is a very feasible and straightforward solution to a lot of problems that you might encounter. If you follow this simple step by step guide, you will not have difficulty in doing this. I recommend you always keep messaging apps up to date with their latest version so that you do not experience the bugs and you have the most advanced security features.
Updating WhatsApp on an iPhone
If you are using an iPhone that runs iOS 9 or newer (since the iOS 15 is now out) and wish to upgrade WhatsApp, here are the steps you need to follow.
- Got to the App Store (from the home screen of your device)
- Click the magnifying glass icon (bottom left)
- Type WhatsApp in the search bar
- Tap UPDATE next to the option that appears for WhatsApp Messenger
To save you some time, you can also click on link here: iPhone WhatsApp Update. This directs you to the official Apple App Store, so you do not have to worry about scams or stability. Once the page loads, you can click on the UPDATE button as instructed.
If you cannot find UPDATE and only see the option to OPEN, you have the latest version of the messaging app installed on your device already.
That was pretty easy, right?
Let me give you a tip that can allow you to have this WhatsApp service always running its latest version without stressing – activate your automatic updates.
I can explain further: you are allowing the device to automatically determine when updates are available and install them directly. Enabling this option is easy to do. Begin in Settings > Scroll to you see App Store – Click it > Activate the Flag (to Green) on App Updates.
Be mindful that choosing this option is a universal choice for all of the apps on your phone. If you have many apps installed your device, you might be looking at updating very regularly.
Frankie’s Take:
You do not need a subscription to update WhatsApp. It is always free of charge – so make sure you do this whenever you notice a new version has arrived.
Updating WhatsApp for Androids
Have an Android phone and wish to update your WhatsApp application? Here are the steps you need to follow:
- Go to the Play Store and to the Menu (three horizontal lines on the top left)
- Tap on My Apps & Games
- A window appears showing the applications in need of updating, and you can differentiate by which listed programs have an option to update beside them
- Click Update next to WhatsApp Messenger and wait until the download completes
- Once done, you will be running the latest version of WhatsApp
Much like with the iPhone, I have included a direct link to the app’s page on the Google Play Store: Android WhatsApp Update. It is also safe and a direct link to this information. Click on Update next to the app’s name to download the latest version on your phone.
The word update does not appear on this page, then you are already running the latest version of WhatsApp on your device.
As my grandmother would always say, it’s as easy as drinking a glass of water.
I do have a tip for you, however. There is something you can do to save time and stress: enabling automatic updates on your Android device.
Every time you’re connected to a Wi-Fi network and there are apps in need of updating, this action is performed automatically. Essentially, WhatsApp would update itself every time an update gets released.
It is very simple to enable this feature from The Google Play Store. Tap on the menu icon (again three horizontal lines in the top left corner) and then go to Settings > Choose Auto Update Apps > Over Wi-Fi Only.
This is a universal approach to updating your apps, so it will work for all of them even beyond WhatsApp.
Frankie’s Take:
It is 100% free to update WhatsApp on your Android device. You can do it as often as you would like when new updates become available.
Updating WhatsApp on Android without the Google Play Store
I’ve been asked multiple times if there is any method to update the WhatsApp application on Android devices without using the traditional Play Store approach. So I’ve decided to write this short inclusion within this guide.
Those who have an outdated smartphone can often find it more challenging to update their WhatsApp on the official Google store. There is a way of getting around this, and that involves downloading and installing this file manually from the internet. These types of files often end with .APK extensions.
There is nothing especially easy or convenient about this approach versus the more direct route, but I can show you how to do it.
Follow these steps specifically:
- Go to Settings > Security > Unknown Sources and allow
- Download the WhatsApp Messenger APK file from the official WhatsApp website. Just click on this link.
- Begin installing by tapping on the downloaded APK file.
There you have it – this is yet another way to install the latest version of WhatsApp on your device.
Frankie’s Take:
I would only recommend this method if you have issues with the Google Play Store in some way. Activating the possibility to run and install apps from unknown sources (for anything that does not come from the Play Store) means that it the app could have malware or spyware installed.
WhatsApp Updates for 2021 You Should Know
Every year more advanced and faster phones are being released. These new devices are better equipped to handle all of WhatsApp’s most impressive features.
Unfortunately, there are versions of phones that become obsolete with these advancements in technology. Currently WhatsApp is no longer supported on:
- Windows 8 Phones (or older)
- Blackberry operating systems
- Nokia Symbian S60 (or older)
- Android OS 4.0.1 (or older)
If you have a smartphone that meets these listed criteria, it is not possible for you to safely install WhatsApp anymore.
FAQs
If I update, do I lose my conversations, photos, videos, and files?
Not at all. Updating WhatsApp will never cause a loss of your saved information, conversations, or media. You will instead be choosing to improve security and remove bugs that could compromise the app.
How much data is needed for an update?
This depends – but typically only a few MB. If you do not wish to use your own data, you can wait and install any updates over a Wi-Fi connection instead.
Can I Update without an Apple ID?
No, you can’t. Unlike Android that allows you to install programs from unknown sources, Apple’s security features do not allow this. You have to have WhatsApp installed and updated through the App Store, and that requires you to be signed in with your Apple ID.
Conclusion
I have given you all the information that I can on updating WhatsApp. Hopefully this has been a help.
Before we part ways, I would like to quickly recap what we have discussed throughout the guide.
First, I showed you how to update WhatsApp on your iPhone through the App Store. Next, we discussed on how to update your Android device in the same manner. You can do this through the official Google Play Store or by installing the file directly from WhatsApp’s website. Last, I answered some common questions I have encountered on the topic.
It is now officially time to say goodbye. If you have questions or concerns or have discovered new techniques to update WhatsApp and wish to share them with me and the other readers of the blog, you have a comment section below that you can use. I will be sure to get back with you as soon as possible.
A hug,
PS – Did you know that WhatsApp users only know 10% of what the app is capable of? See our guide on 40 WhatsApp Secret Features.
