Windows 7: Do I have to use internet through cellphone in order to use Whatsapp?

Hi! Do I need to use the internet through my cellphone in order to be able to use Whatsapp? We don't get online with our cellphones - we get online through an internet service. We have wi-fi through a Belkin router. If I don't have to use internet through my cellphone for this, how do I download the Whatsapp to my cellphone, since instructions say this is necessary?

Hi Debby-

You got me confused. I don't know the difference between "going online" or "going online through an internet service." Whatsapp is supposed to use your phone's internet service.

To use Whatsapp on your computer, they say you need to have Win 8.1 or later.

The only way I know of to use it on W7 is going to https://web.whatsapp.com/ to use it on your computer. With that you need your phone connected to whatsapp.

Hi! I wanted to use Whatsapp in order to be able to communicate with a friend who has Whatsapp on his cellphone. But I guess that won't be possible, since I have windows 7 computer. So I am not able to communicate through my computer, with the Whatsapp. Thanks for explaining I won't try any more then! I don't want to communicate with him though my cellphone, as that would not be free.

Note that I don't have Whatsapp (or even a smart phone). I'm just telling you what I see at their website. I see they have a Whatsapp Messenger which, as I understand it is strictly for messaging and you don't need to have whatsapp on your computer. However, they confuse the issue by saying that you switch from SMS (?) to Whatsapp to send and receive messages, etc.

WhatsApp Messenger on the App Store

Note that they have Messenger for Android and iOS.

Maybe you should ask whatsapp-

android@support.whatsapp.com

WhatsApp always runs on cellphones, there is no way around that, as it's only an Android/iOS program. Computer clients also exists, but are only frontends to reach your phone actually, and all of them fail web your phone isn't connected to internet.

Is there any reason why you don't give internet access to your phone?

Thanks for explaining some more about it! I prefer laptops for getting online as I have more skill for laptop computers - than for cellphones. Plus I much prefer the larger screen that laptops have. Etc.

That's a real showstopper, because WhatsApp is phone-centric and won't work without a phone. In fact, the vast majority of the functions in a current phone require some sort of internet access. Without it, you only will be able to make calls and send SMSs and pretty much nothing else. Possible and it'll work, but that's what a Nokia 1100 gave us.
I would suggest that you learn and get more comfortable with giving internet access to phones in addition to computers.

Thank you very much for explaining about this. You can close this now.

Hi Debby,

You can mark this thread as Solved yourself. It is at the top of the page.

I hope this helps!