WhatsApp, Messenger, Zoom, FaceTime… Which One Do You Actually Need?
Your daughter says "just WhatsApp me". Your grandson wants to FaceTime. The book club has moved its meetings to Zoom. Do you really need all of them?
Probably not. Here's a plain-spoken guide to what each app is for, which one to learn first — and which ones you can happily ignore.
The Short Answer First
All of these apps do broadly the same thing: free messages and free video calls over the internet. The differences are smaller than the adverts suggest.
the best app is simply the one your family already uses. Ask your children or grandchildren which app they're on, and start there. A slightly "better" app is useless if nobody you love is on it.
In Britain, that answer is usually WhatsApp — it's the most widely used messaging app in the country by some distance.
The Four Main Apps, Side by Side
| Messenger | FaceTime | Zoom | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Everyday family chat and calls | Chatting with Facebook friends | Video calls between iPhones | Big group meetings |
| Cost | Free | Free | Free | Free (40-minute limit on groups) |
| Works on | Any smartphone | Any smartphone | Apple devices only | Phone, tablet or computer |
| What you need | Your mobile number | A Facebook account | Nothing — built into iPhones | Just a link someone sends you |
| UK popularity | Highest | High | High among iPhone owners | Mostly clubs, classes and work |
A Little More on Each
WhatsApp is the safe first choice. It works on every phone, your contacts appear automatically, and most UK families already run their group chat on it. If you learn one app, learn this one — our step-by-step WhatsApp guide walks you through it.
Messenger makes sense if you're already on Facebook — every Facebook friend is instantly reachable, no phone numbers needed. It's the natural home for chatting with friends rather than close family.
FaceTime is wonderfully simple, but only between Apple devices. If you and your grandchildren all have iPhones or iPads, it's already on your device and there's nothing to set up. If anyone in the family has an Android phone, it falls down — use WhatsApp instead.
Zoom is the odd one out: it's for meetings, not everyday chat. You don't message people on Zoom — someone sends you a link, you tap it, and you're in a room with the whole book club. You don't even need an account to join.
WhatsApp is your home telephone, Messenger is chatting over the garden fence, FaceTime is the family's private line, and Zoom is the village hall you book for meetings.
Can They Talk to Each Other?
Mostly, no — and this catches people out. A WhatsApp message cannot reach someone who only has Messenger, just as a letter posted in France needs a French postbox.
This is exactly why "use what your family uses" is the golden rule. One app that everyone shares beats three apps used by nobody.
What This Means for You
You need at most two: WhatsApp for family, and perhaps Zoom if a club or class you belong to meets online. Everything else is optional.
Ignore the feeling that you ought to be on everything — even people half your age aren't. Pick the app your family uses, spend one afternoon getting comfortable, and you're done.
Still unsure which is right for your situation? Ask us — Ask IT Man is free, friendly, and won't try to sell you anything.
In a Nutshell
- All four apps offer free messages and video calls — differences are small
- In the UK, WhatsApp is the safest first choice; Zoom only for clubs and classes
- The best app is whichever one your family already uses
