iOS Update Lets WhatsApp Set as Default for Calls and Messages

WhatsApp may now be set as the default app on your iPhone for texting and making calls, according to WABetaInfo. WhatsApp will show up as an option in your Messaging and Calling default app settings when you update to version 25.8.74.

This update builds on the ability to change the default calling and messaging apps on iPhone, which Apple introduced with the iOS 18.2 update in December. WhatsApp has released a new update for its iOS app that allows users to set it as the default app for calls and messages. The feature was first noticed in a beta version of the app but has since been widely rolled out and is available to all WhatsApp for iOS users.

After first announcing that iPhone owners in the EU will be allowed to switch their default message and phone applications, Apple then stated that iOS 18.2 would let everyone do the same.

With the iOS 18.2 update, Apple made it possible for users to designate third-party apps as default services for a number of functions. Although WhatsApp was not available at the time of release, the most recent version of WhatsApp for iOS now supports this application programming interface (API). The new Default Apps section in the Settings app allows users to customize default apps across eight categories, including calling, messaging, keyboarding, and password management.

The most recent version of the WhatsApp app for iOS, 25.8.74, adds the instant messaging service as an option in the default apps section. On the iPhone, WhatsApp is shown as an alternative to the Messages app when setting the default messaging app, and iOS users can now select between FaceTime, Phone, and WhatsApp as their default calling app.

By following this guide, users must go to Settings and then Default Apps in order to configure WhatsApp as the call app of choice. Under this header, choose WhatsApp > Calling. You may also go to Messaging > WhatsApp and do the same thing for messages. After that, WhatsApp will automatically route any numbers that are dialed straight from the website and other locations that use system behaviour to make calls. After choosing the Messaging and Calling choices, you’ll be presented with a range of other applications, including WhatsApp if you update to the most recent version.

Only beta testers who enrolled through Apple’s TestFlight program were able to access the WhatsApp beta for the iOS 25.8.10.74 upgrade, which was when the functionality was initially noticed. But now that it has been widely released, Gadgets 360 can verify that it is available by using the most recent WhatsApp for iOS version, which is available for download from the App Store.

Once you have changed your default app, your iPhone will launch the app of your choice whenever you, for instance, tap a phone number on a webpage or click the message button in your contacts list.

With its release, customers could no longer be limited to utilizing Apple’s system apps for routine tasks like sending messages or making calls. It removes extra processes like explicitly choosing WhatsApp from the selection menu or navigating to the app to make calls by making it the default app.

Using the most recent version of WhatsApp that is accessible through the App Store, the report said that this feature is being introduced gradually. It should be mentioned, nevertheless, that in order for the iPhone to enable this function, iOS 18.2 or later must be installed.