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WhatsApp vs iMessage is always a popular debate, as both messaging apps are used for connecting with friends and family. WhatsApp is one of the most downloaded and widely used for its compatibility across most major platforms. On the other hand, iMessage offers seamless interconnectivity across Apple devices like MacBooks, iPhones, and iPads.
If you own an Apple device, there will always be the issue of whether you should use the native iMessage or install WhatsApp. We solve that problem with our detailed comparison of WhatsApp vs iMessage.
WhatsApp vs iMessage: Major points of comparison
Both messaging services have been upgraded with several features in the past few years. In the West, especially in the US, iPhone users heavily rely on iMessage to connect. However, WhatsApp is popular in other major regions, like Europe and Asia.
Therefore, in the WhatsApp vs iMessage debate, the latter has a much larger worldwide user base. Here are the key factors that have certain similarities and differences:
1) Privacy
The first similarity between WhatsApp vs iMessage is privacy, wherein both employ end-to-end encryption. But the difference iMessage's texts are secure only when you're messaging via an Apple device. If the messages have a blue bubble, they have been encrypted. However, there's no encryption support when texts are sent from iMessage to any Android device via SMS.
Therefore, to avoid any privacy issues, many iPhone users use WhatsApp or Telegram to connect with Android users. WhatsApp also offers end-to-end encryption, but it has had privacy breaches.
2) Group limit
Although both messaging apps have a group chat feature, the group limit on WhatsApp is significantly higher than that on iMessage. The latter only allows a maximum of 32 people in a group. But if you want to add multiple users in a group, WhatsApp is much better, allowing up to 1024 members.
WhatsApp also lets you club multiple groups under a Community. For easier management, you can send announcements to all groups inside a community at once if you are the admin of that Community. iMessage has yet to imbibe any such features, including Community support.
3) Sharing files
WhatsApp and iMessage have file-sharing capabilities, but even in 2024, iMessage only allows you to send files up to 100MB in size. The plus point here is that iMessage doesn't compress photos or videos and sends them in their original size, unlike WhatsApp. You can also send documents and audio files with iMessage across multiple Apple devices.
In contrast, WhatsApp allows users to send up to 2GB of files, a noticeable increase from iMessage's 100MB size limit. It benefits users who have to share multiple media files for work-related activities.
4) Transactional feature
WhatsApp has a payment feature that lets you send and receive money within the app. However, it is currently limited to working in India and Brazil. In contrast, Apple lets you send payments through its proprietary Apple Pay, which currently only works in the US.
You can also make voice and video calls with WhatsApp, while iMessage has no call support. WhatsApp can only be used with an active internet connection, but iMessage can be used without one.
WhatsApp vs iMessage: Verdict
The WhatsApp vs iMessage comparison primarily depends on your requirements for a messaging app. If you have a large user base to connect with users using both Android and iOS devices, we suggest using WhatsApp. The app also offers end-to-end encryption through all the messages sent through it.
In contrast, iMessage is great for users who prefer to use iOS devices. It also works without any internet connection and has an easy-to-use interface. However, it lacks end-to-end encryption when messages are sent to non-Apple devices, raising data security concerns.
Check other similar articles:
How to use WhatsApp on multiple devices with same number II What's new in Messages on iOS 17 II Best Android apps in 2023 II 6 best features coming to iOS in 2024
