[11:18, 28/01/2020] David Hughes: I have just discovered I can access what’s app on my iPad as well as my phone. Isn’t technology wunerful !
[11:27, 28/01/2020] Jim Bartlett: I think you still have to have your phone connected, David.
[11:30, 28/01/2020] David Harrison: I think you do too. Paul showed us a way of doing that at tge beginning of the year when we started using WhatsApp. I’ll share the link later. Me … it’s rumoured they’re going to release an iPad App – I’ll wIt for that! But, perhaps, you’re ahead of me!
[13:01, 28/01/2020] Margaret Lewis: When I started using Whats App, pre Computer Group days, I found I could not have it on both Android phone and tablet. Had to be one or the other. Confirmed by kids, and its now only on the tab. I would be delighted if anyone knows a way to have it operational on both.
[17:31, 28/01/2020] Jim Bartlett: Margaret, your tablet will have a different phone number to your mobile’s, yes? That means they can both be on WhatsApp, but they won’t be able to read each other’s messages, any more than they can read mine.
Now, you are a member of the Computer group, so you can read and reply to other members’ WhatsApp messages.
So the answer to your problem is to form a new WhatsApp group, and make your tablet and your phone members, so they can then see what each of them are doing. Simple! (I hope.)
(If the problem is that you want your phone to be in the Computer group too, then send a request from it to David.)
[17:37, 28/01/2020] Paul de Geus: Jim, That sounds an interesting option wrt grouping.
[18:04, 28/01/2020] David Harrison: Hi @Margaret Lewis As far as I know (or knew) I’d added your phone to the Group, unless your tablet has a SIM in it and that’s the phone number you gave me.
[18:05, 28/01/2020] David Harrison: The number I have ends 5213
[18:32, 28/01/2020] Margaret Lewis: Thanks for all the comments.
Yes, it all operates through the one and only mob no. that you have.
The issue seems to be that, as far as I understand it and was led to believe, WA only operates on one device for the account.
I have several WA groups so live happily with the present set up but availability on the phone too would obviously give more flexibility and more instant access.
[18:37, 28/01/2020] Jim Bartlett: Have you read my reply, Margaret? You can open a new WhatsApp account for your phone, and ask David to add it to the Computer group. Jim
[11:50, 29/01/2020] Jim Bartlett: “The one and only mob. no. that you have.” Are you saying your tablet uses the same number as your phone, Margaret?
[19:01, 29/01/2020] Margaret Lewis: As far as I know it doesnt have a number. I certainly only have one number, on the phone.
[20:39, 29/01/2020] Jim Bartlett: Can anyone else in the Computer group tell Margaret how to find out if her tablet has a phone number? (Presumably it has a sim.) She obviously won’t be able to join the WhatsApp group without one.
[21:41, 29/01/2020] Margaret Lewis: Well Ive been in the computer group Whats App since last Sept and others before that.
[21:44, 29/01/2020] Jim Bartlett: Yes of course, Margaret, but via your phone, not your tablet. That is what I am trying to help you with.
[21:54, 29/01/2020] Paul de Geus: Most Tablets in the UK do not have a SIM, it is usually an extra cost option , that cannot be retrofitted. There are various workarounds for extra connectivity if really needed.
[22:37, 29/01/2020] David Harrison: Just a thought – there are unofficial Messenger apps for WhatsApp on the iPad (maybe Android as well) – could it be this that’s causing confusion?
[22:39, 29/01/2020] David Harrison: I used one for a while about 18months ago before deleting it. These apps link to WhatsApp Web which is the only way I’m aware of that allow you to use WhatsApp through browser technology.
[22:40, 29/01/2020] David Harrison: This is really confusing to me as well as @Margaret Lewis no doubt. Bring both devices in next meeting if you can and we’ll try and sort it out.
[09:29, 30/01/2020] Jim Bartlett: That’s a good plan, David. Then we will be able to see if Margaret’s tablet has a sim slot, (like my Nexus).
[14:36, 30/01/2020] David Harrison: I’m truly confused with WhatsApp. I’ll write a blogpost about it when I eventually feel confident enough about how it works to do so !!! 🤣🤣🤣
[18:00, 30/01/2020] Margaret Lewis: I definitely do not have a sim on the Android tablet. The WA app is the official one.
Shedding a bit more light, it was originally set up on the Android phone, which has a number. Not understanding the technicalities, I assumed at that stage that I could just add the app to my tablet also, which I did over a year ago, and then use both. I discovered that it did not operate on both devices together and so deleted the phone one and kept the tablet which has worked without any problems.
Does this explain things, have I inadvertently discovered that you can set up on the phone with a number yet operate on another device?
My original query was to try to get the same WA on both, but as no one seems to know if or how I think I will leave well alone and carry on. “Keep calm and carry on”. Many thanks for all the input.
[18:22, 30/01/2020] Jim Bartlett: If you wrote that on your tablet, Margaret, then your tablet has the number +44 7480 925213. What I don’t understand is how it could have a number if it doesn’t have a sim. Anybody?
[18:28, 30/01/2020] Margaret Lewis: Yes I only ever use WA on the tablet, the only place it is installed. While on line now I have also been successfully engaged in a WA chat with my daughter, using same app, same device. The number is my (only) mobile phone number. It accesses the phone for which I pay a monthly sum. I pay nothing for the tablet and never have.
I think I will keep things running as they are rather than investigate too closely and lose things!
[18:30, 30/01/2020] David Harrison: Fascinating! Android is obviously one step ahead of Apple because there isn’t an app for iPad, only iPhone, so it’s not possible to do what you seem to have done.
[18:34, 30/01/2020] Margaret Lewis: My husband is sitting here. I am reminded that he uses WA on his tablet too. He hasnt even got as far as a smart phone!
[18:37, 30/01/2020] Paul de Geus: Margaret has inadvertevly but effectively followed the procedure I outlined at one of our sessions last year, When I explained how to What’s App an Android tablet that does not have a SIM, but using another spare android phone number.
[18:38, 30/01/2020] David Harrison: Ah! Yes! It’s coming back to me. However I’ve just done a quick search @Paul de Geus and there categorically is not an official WhatsApp app for Android tablets – at least that’s what I’ve read 🥴
[18:40, 30/01/2020] David Harrison: https://www.techadvisor.co.uk/how-to/google-android/whatsapp-tablet-3517280/
[18:43, 30/01/2020] Paul de Geus: You just download WhatsApp from Playstore on the android tablet and follow instructions, but use an existing android phone number not already linked to What’s App.I think we wrote it up on Thoughtgrazing
[19:22, 30/01/2020] David Harrison: Yes you did @Paul de Geus – I’m confused of course, again (not being an Android person), the article above (Nov. 2019) states that there isn’t an official WhatsApp app – can you comment on that?
[19:25, 30/01/2020] Paul de Geus: They did not expect you to find the workaround for a non SIM device,that can use the official WhatsApp app.
[19:28, 30/01/2020] Paul de Geus: When you load and use the app,it expects you to provide a phone number for the device it is on…..but, it does not realise that you may have supplied a phone number not physically connected to that device.
[19:29, 30/01/2020] Paul de Geus: Hence the workaround works.
[19:56, 30/01/2020] Margaret Lewis: Sounds about right. I would have downloaded from Play Store, provided the number but then found, as I now realise, that it was not possible to have 2 copies of the app operational on the same number. As I said, I uninstalled the one on the phone to keep the tablet up and running. I assumed I had overlooked something and was hoping that one of you knowledgable folks maybe could help in sorting it on 2 devices. I now understand the system and reasons why I cant do this, so sorted.