WhatsApp arrives for Windows Phone 8

Good news for owners of Windows Phone 8 Lumia smartphones. The enormously popular instant messaging client WhatsApp has been updated for the latest version of the operating system, joining Facebook Chat, MSN messaging, Skype, Viber and a host of other alternatives.

The developers were working with Nokia to produce a version that is properly optimised for the latest Windows Phone platform experience.

In case WhatsApp is new to you, it’s for instant messaging using text, of course, but also allows you to send pictures, audio and video files. It’s also great for group chats, which can be tricky to manage using some of the alternatives.

Unlike SMS, WhatsApp uses your data connection, whether that’s 3G, LTE or WiFi, to send and receive messages. This can mean cost-savings for users, of course, which is another factor that has undoubtedly contributed to the popularity of the service.

Related: Top tips for using WhatsApp on your Lumia

Setting up WhatsApp is a two-step process. You download and install the app. Then you need to verify your phone number using the code from an SMS sent from the company’s servers. Once installed, it will automatically find the other WhatsApp users in your phonebook and add them its built-in phone book.

WhatsApp is free for the first 12 months, then costs $0.99 for the years thereafter.

Available across almost every smartphone platform, including Series 40 and Symbian, as well as Windows Phone, the app has a huge following – and there’s no problem messaging other users on a completely different type of phone. Like every other social network, if your friends are using WhatsApp, it’s a must-have app.