On our wonderful Rick Steves Europe, Best of Italy Tour years ago our guide used WhatsApp to communicate with the group. It was amazing and gave us all the ability to announce plans, share maps, photos and even videos.
Since then we have shared this method with many friends in our social circle and use it to arrange meet ups. But being seniors now, many of our buddies have very old phones or, more likely, cannot find their original paperwork with their Apple ID number which seems to be a necessity to load the App(?)
Do any travelers or marvelous RS Guides have advice? THANKS
Posted by
Virginia, USA
6704 posts
But being seniors now, many of our buddies have very old phones or, more likely, cannot find their original paperwork with their Apple ID number which seems to be a necessity to load the App(?)
Your Apple userid is your email address or phone number. The articles below tell you how to find your account info and reset your password if needed. They can also go to an apple store for help.
Posted by
Chicagoland
2426 posts
You just go to the Google app store for Android phones or the Apple app store for iPhones. If the app store is already on their phone, there shouldn't be an issue unless the phone is really old.
If their phones using an older operating system, it may not support the app. I would suggest if the phone is too old it should be upgraded to make life and travel easier. An older phone may not be receiving security updates in addition to operating system upgrades and fixes.
Posted by
Michigan
627 posts
I'm not sure what an "Apple ID number" is - all you need to download What's App is access to the App Store, which may require Apple Account info if someone is not automatically logged in - this would be the user's email and password for Apple. If someone has forgotten their Apple password, they can reset it in Settings/Sign In & Security/Change Password.
For older phones, the issue might be that the operating system doesn't support the app. I think What's App requires iOS 15 or higher. So any phone that cannot update to iOS 15 is out of luck - and honestly should be replaced anyway for lots of reasons. Current iOS for iPhones is at 26!
Posted by
Edmonds, WA 🌨 ☂
13657 posts
What's App requires iOS 15 or higher. So any phone that cannot update to iOS 15 is out of luck - and honestly should be replaced anyway for lots of reasons. Current iOS for iPhones is at 26!
The big jump is due to the way Apple is now numbering the iOS. The difference between iOS 15 and iOS 26 is not as great as it might seem. iOS 15 came out in Sept 2021
The shift to year-based naming—using 26 to reflect availability across 2025 and 2026—brings consistency across Apple’s ecosystem, replacing the mismatched version numbers like iOS 19, macOS 16, or watchOS 12. This vehicle-style numbering mirrors how car manufacturers designate models, making it easier for users to understand the release cycle. As Bloomberg notes, the change aims to streamline Apple’s branding and make its software updates feel cohesive across devices like iPhones, iPads, Macs, Apple TVs, Apple Watches, and Vision Pro headsets.
https://applemagazine.com/apple-to-rename-operating-systems-with-year-based-numbering/
Posted by
Duluth, MN🌲
12616 posts
The Apple ID is your email address that you use with Apple.
And as mentioned above. you need IOS 15.5 to use WhatsApp. That shouldn't stop your friends from downloading the app on their phone, and as long as they have 15.5 on their phone, it doesn't matter how old the phone is. The trouble begins if their phone is so old that they cannot download the newer operating systems, in which case they will need to upgrade their phone.
Posted by
Paris
11488 posts
I think the problem is that it is possible the AppStore might require a person to approve, with their Apple ID and its corresponding password, the installation of any new app - to include WhatsApp.
It depends how the person's phone and account are set up. I barely even notice when I approve an AppStore request, because I have set up Touch ID approval and it is seamless. If you have to go looking up your Apple ID password to get past the request, it might take a little research, or re-setting one's password via the links as the first respondent provided above.