# Vobo

> Clear, tested answers to the questions people actually ask about WhatsApp — privacy, setup, calls, cost and troubleshooting.

Vobo is an independent publication about WhatsApp. It is not affiliated with WhatsApp LLC or Meta Platforms, Inc.
Every article opens with a direct two-to-three sentence answer, cites named sources, and is mirrored as plain markdown at its URL plus ".md".

## WhatsApp privacy and security

What WhatsApp actually exposes, what end-to-end encryption does and does not cover, and the settings that change who can see you.

- [WhatsApp privacy and security](https://vobo.online/privacy-and-security): topic hub
- [Who owns WhatsApp, and what that ownership actually means for you](https://vobo.online/who-owns-whatsapp.md): Meta Platforms has owned WhatsApp since 2014, when Facebook paid about $19 billion for it. Here is how that happened and what changed for users afterwards.
- [Does WhatsApp show your phone number, and to exactly whom?](https://vobo.online/does-whatsapp-show-your-phone-number.md): Your number is your WhatsApp account, so anyone you message can see it. Here is precisely who sees it in chats, groups, communities and business accounts.
- [Can WhatsApp be hacked? What is actually possible, and what is marketing](https://vobo.online/can-whatsapp-be-hacked.md): Almost every 'WhatsApp hacking' claim is false. Here is what can genuinely compromise an account, how to spot it, and how to lock the account down.
- [How to hide your phone number on WhatsApp — and what you actually can hide](https://vobo.online/hide-phone-number-whatsapp.md): You cannot hide your number from someone you message, but you can control almost everything else. Here is what works, what does not, and the second-number option.
- [Is WhatsApp safe for sending private photos?](https://vobo.online/is-whatsapp-safe-for-photos.md): Encryption protects the photo in transit. It does nothing about backups, screenshots or the person receiving it — which is where the real risk sits.
- [How to see your blocked numbers on WhatsApp, and what blocking does](https://vobo.online/whatsapp-blocked-list.md): Your block list is at Settings → Privacy → Blocked contacts. Here is what blocking hides, what it does not, and what happens when you unblock.
- [How to remove WhatsApp from Facebook, and what it actually achieves](https://vobo.online/unlink-whatsapp-from-facebook.md): You can unlink WhatsApp from a Meta Accounts Center in a few taps. Here is how, and an honest account of what that does and does not stop.
- [What WhatsApp is used for in dating, and the risk nobody mentions](https://vobo.online/whatsapp-for-dating.md): Moving a dating match to WhatsApp hands over your phone number permanently. Here is what that means and how the romance-scam pattern works.

## Setting up and managing a WhatsApp account

Registering, verifying, changing your number or name, adding contacts and moving to a new phone — the account mechanics, step by step.

- [Setting up and managing a WhatsApp account](https://vobo.online/setup-and-account): topic hub
- [What the WhatsApp 6-digit code is, and why nobody should ever ask you for it](https://vobo.online/whatsapp-6-digit-code.md): The 6-digit code is WhatsApp's registration key for your phone number. Here is what it does, why it arrives unasked, and what to do when it never turns up.
- [Does WhatsApp need a phone number? Yes, and here is why it is built that way](https://vobo.online/does-whatsapp-need-a-phone-number.md): WhatsApp requires a phone number that can receive a code — there is no email or username signup. Here is what qualifies, what does not, and why.
- [How to use WhatsApp without a mobile phone number](https://vobo.online/whatsapp-without-phone-number.md): You cannot skip verification, but you can register WhatsApp on a landline or a spare number. Here is what works, what fails, and the honest limits.
- [How to change your name on WhatsApp, and who actually sees it](https://vobo.online/change-whatsapp-name.md): Changing your WhatsApp name takes four taps, but only some people ever see it. Here are the steps and which name each person is shown.
- [How to change your WhatsApp profile photo, and who can see it](https://vobo.online/change-whatsapp-profile-photo.md): Changing your WhatsApp photo takes four taps on any platform. The setting that matters more is who is allowed to see it — which defaults to everyone.
- [How to see your own WhatsApp number on any device](https://vobo.online/find-my-whatsapp-number.md): Your WhatsApp number is shown under your name in Settings. Here is where to find it on iPhone, Android, Web and desktop, and what it is not.
- [How to create a WhatsApp account, step by step](https://vobo.online/create-whatsapp-account.md): Setting up WhatsApp takes about three minutes. Here is the whole process on iPhone and Android, plus the two settings worth changing immediately.
- [How to add a contact in WhatsApp, four different ways](https://vobo.online/add-contact-whatsapp.md): Add someone from inside WhatsApp, from your phone book, by QR code, or message them without saving them at all. Plus why a contact fails to appear.
- [Can you use an old WhatsApp number without verification?](https://vobo.online/old-whatsapp-number-without-verification.md): No — verification cannot be skipped, and nobody at WhatsApp can waive it. Here is what can genuinely be recovered when the old number is gone.
- [How to change your WhatsApp number without losing your chats](https://vobo.online/change-whatsapp-number.md): The Change Number tool migrates your chats, groups and settings to a new number and tells your contacts. Do it before you lose the old number.
- [How to change the language in WhatsApp on Android and iPhone](https://vobo.online/change-whatsapp-language.md): Android has an in-app language setting. iPhone does not — you change it per-app in iOS Settings. Here are both routes and what they do not affect.
- [Can you get WhatsApp on a Samsung tablet or an iPad?](https://vobo.online/whatsapp-on-tablet.md): Android tablets can run WhatsApp as a linked companion device. iPad has its own app now. Here is how each works and what the limits are.

## WhatsApp calls, data use and what it costs

Whether WhatsApp needs Wi-Fi, how much data calls actually use, what shows on a phone bill, and how it behaves abroad.

- [WhatsApp calls, data use and what it costs](https://vobo.online/calls-data-and-cost): topic hub
- [Does WhatsApp work without Wi-Fi? Yes — and here is what it costs](https://vobo.online/does-whatsapp-work-without-wifi.md): WhatsApp works on mobile data with no Wi-Fi at all. This explains what it needs, how much data messages and calls actually use, and what breaks offline.
- [Does WhatsApp work internationally, and what does it cost abroad?](https://vobo.online/whatsapp-internationally.md): WhatsApp works in almost every country with no extra charge, because messages travel over the internet. Here is what changes abroad and where it is blocked.
- [Is WhatsApp free? Yes, and here is what it actually costs you](https://vobo.online/is-whatsapp-free.md): WhatsApp costs nothing to install or use, and has since 2016. The real costs are data, roaming and what Meta gets from your metadata.
- [Do WhatsApp calls appear on your phone bill?](https://vobo.online/whatsapp-on-phone-bill.md): WhatsApp calls are never itemised on a phone bill because they are not carrier calls. Here is what a bill can and cannot reveal about your WhatsApp use.

## When WhatsApp stops working

Ordered fixes for messages that will not deliver, calls that fail, an app that will not open and updates that will not install.

- [When WhatsApp stops working](https://vobo.online/troubleshooting): topic hub
- [How to update WhatsApp on iPhone and Android](https://vobo.online/update-whatsapp.md): Updating WhatsApp goes through the App Store or Google Play. Here are the steps, how to automate it, and what to do when the update is refused.
- [Why WhatsApp is not working, and how to fix it in order](https://vobo.online/whatsapp-not-working.md): An ordered triage for WhatsApp that will not open, connect, call or download — starting with the causes that are actually most common.
- [Why WhatsApp messages are not delivering: the seven real causes](https://vobo.online/whatsapp-messages-not-delivering.md): One tick means the message reached WhatsApp but not the recipient's phone. Here are the seven causes, ranked by how common they actually are.

## What WhatsApp's features and labels actually mean

Online, last seen, typing, Chat Lock, QR codes, communities and the labels WhatsApp shows without explaining — decoded.

- [What WhatsApp's features and labels actually mean](https://vobo.online/features-explained): topic hub
- [Why do people use WhatsApp, and why not everywhere?](https://vobo.online/why-people-use-whatsapp.md): WhatsApp is dominant across Europe, India and Latin America and marginal in the US. The reason is SMS pricing history, not features.
- [How WhatsApp works, from registration to read receipts](https://vobo.online/how-whatsapp-works.md): A complete plain-language guide to operating WhatsApp: setting up, sending messages, the tick system, calls, groups, backups and linked devices.
- [Why people use WhatsApp instead of texting](https://vobo.online/whatsapp-vs-texting.md): WhatsApp beat SMS on cost, groups, media and encryption. Here is a feature-by-feature comparison with SMS, RCS and iMessage, and where texting still wins.
- [How to scan a WhatsApp QR code, and the scam that abuses it](https://vobo.online/scan-whatsapp-qr-code.md): WhatsApp uses QR codes for two different jobs: adding a contact and linking a device. Here is how to scan each, and why one of them is dangerous.
- [Is WhatsApp social media, or just a messaging app?](https://vobo.online/is-whatsapp-social-media.md): WhatsApp started as an SMS replacement and grew Status, Channels and Communities. Here is where the line sits and why the answer changed.
- [What 'online', 'last seen' and popup notifications actually mean](https://vobo.online/whatsapp-online-and-notification-meanings.md): WhatsApp's status indicators get over-read constantly. Here is what each one genuinely proves, and what it does not.
- [What does 'user defined' mean in WhatsApp?](https://vobo.online/user-defined-whatsapp-meaning.md): 'User defined' is a label from your phone's contacts app, not from WhatsApp. It means a number was saved under a custom label rather than Mobile or Home.
- [How to unlock chats on WhatsApp, and how Chat Lock works](https://vobo.online/unlock-whatsapp-chats.md): Locked chats sit in their own folder and open with your fingerprint or face. Here is how to unlock, unlock with a secret code, and switch it off.

## Optional

- [Full text of every article](https://vobo.online/llms-full.txt): all articles inlined as markdown
- [About](https://vobo.online/about): what this site is and how it is written
- [Editorial policy](https://vobo.online/editorial-team): authorship, sourcing and independence
- [Robert Mical](https://vobo.online/author/robert-mical): the author — background, method, and what he does not claim to know