Whatsup

Here is how it works Gypsy.  The calls can be made using wifi or a data plan on your phone.  Both people must have the whatsapp app on their phones, at the moment only android based phones have the feature working. Black Berry and Iphones will get it soon.  Both people must have the latest version on their phone, if you do not have it, just go on the google store and download the latest version after uninstalling the old version.  Once you have accomplished all of the above, you must have someone who has the calling feature enabled on their phone call you from within the application. You must be on their whatsapp contact list in order for them to call you, they will not dial you actual phone number, but they will press your contact profile from within whatsapp. You will hear your phone ring and it will display red and green and it will say on the screen: Incoming whatsapp call and the name of the person who is calling you. You must answer the call and speak to the person for at least 2 to 3 minutes. Hang up the call, then restart the whatsapp app. If all was successful, you will notice a little telephone icon in the upper portion of your whatsapp screen. Press the phone icon then look for any contacts you wish to call, and the hit the phone icon that pops up next to their profile photo and that's it amigo. Hope I covered everything

Thanks for a great explaining it for us IT handicapped.

Bob K

So essentially Whatsapp so-called "free" calling is no big deal at all and nothing Skype doesn't already have.

Why then are they making such false and misleading claims that lead people to believe that they're going to be able to make free telephone calls to fixed phones.... pure rubbish (another word comes to mind but don't want it moderated).

As far as I'm concerned it's just another new toy feature, and one that Skype has had all along, perfected and does much better on ALL existing phones. Way to go Whatsapp!!!

Cheers,
James      Expat-blog Experts Team

James many here don't have  skype.  BUT most with a smart phone will have  whatsapp pre installed. That is why its a big deal here.  James - a question -  does skype work on wifi too or would it need a data plan?  I am no techie.....

And gypsy -  both  parties need to be wifi or data plan connected for whatsapp. That is a big deal.  Many many have  "Smart" phones and cannot afford the data plans. So they must go to a wifi spot, not always easy.  BUT it works for free and that is a good thing for many.

Thank you all !!!

I use this app quite often when calling France. And family members /friends use it to contact me in the US. Both parties need to have the app downloaded .

gypsy401 wrote:

When you call someone, do they have to have Whatsup also as you do on Skype?  It would be great if you only neede a Wi-Fi hot spot to make a call.  My friends wife calls her family in SD often using Whatsup.  Her mom doesn't have the net but they can text each other. Does anyone know the answers?  Thank you in advance.

When they text do they share photographs?  If so there should be a dataplan at both ends as photos come across as data.

I don't know, she is wife of a friend & he told me.   I shall inquire.

No problem at all guys, you are very welcomed and yes.....Skype does work with wifi or a data plan, I use it with friends all the time. Google hangouts also has audio and video chats.  Whatsapp does not have video chats only audio, but it has real time chat.  If you are sending photos through traditional text messaging, yes you must have a data plan from your carrier, but if you have whatsapp, Google Hangout, Viber, or Skype, you can send photos or small compressed videos through these services. If the person is able to send photos through texting then they are using some data plan and could use Whatsapp without the need of wifi, but must be careful with data charges unless they have unlimited data like some of the U.S. Carriers do.

I really wish unlimited data and better prices would come to the D.R. Since having to buy calling cards to use local phones is a pain and most plans with a preset data plan require either a contract and is not affordable to the average Dominican