The popular smartphone app WhatsApp allows you to exchange messages quickly and free of charge with connections that also use WhatsApp. You can also create a local WhatsApp group for your local network. A message to such a group will then be visible to all members. These groups are increasingly used by residents of a street, neighbourhood or neighbourhood to inform each other about local issues.

Starting up a WhatsApp group is not complicated. You can often find the necessary tips online. But you can also start right away by reading the following explanation:

Group start (Android)

1. Start WhatsApp
2. Click on Chats
3. Click in the menu with the three vertical dots on New Group or click on Chats, New message and click on the icon with the name Group
4. Select the names you want to add and click on the green arrow
5. Choose a name for the group (maximum 25 characters). This is visible to all participants. So choose a clear and recognisable name. For example: “Our street support group”. You can also add photographs.

Add participants (Android)

1. Search under the tab Chats by the name of your group
2. Click on the group name to open it
3. Click in the menu (three vertical dots) on Group information
4. Now click on Add Participant
5. Select the person in your contact list you want to add
6. Click on Ok

It is also possible to invite people via a link. In that case these people do not have to be in your contacts. This is how you do it:

1. Open your group
2. Click in the menu (three vertical dots) on Group information
3. Click on Add participants
4. Choose the option Invite for group via link
5. Send the link to the people you want to invite. Send the link only to people you trust. If someone forwards the link again, then the recipient can sign up without the administrator having to approve the participation!

A group can have up to 256 members. People who want to leave the group can do so themselves via the option Group Abandoned under Group information.

Send a message to the group (Android)

1. Search under the tab Chats by the name of your group
2. Click on the title to open the group
3. Type your message and send it. After this all participants will see your message.

Create group administrators (Android)

A group can have multiple administrators. Only administrators can make other participants administrators. This is how you turn someone into an administrator:

1. Open your group
2. Click in the menu (three vertical dots) on Group information
3. Search in the list of participants for the person you want to make administrator
4. Click on the name
5. Choose in the menu the option Create group manager
6. In the overview you now see behind the person the indication Administrator

Further information

• Working with groups under Android
• Working with groups under iPhone

If you have a local website, post a message there that a WhatsApp group exists and let people know how to sign up and what the rules are.

WhatsApp online or on your computer
Do you find it awkward to keep track of WhatsApp on the phone? There is also an online version. You can access it via the site web.whatsapp.com. In addition, there is a desktop application that you can download via www.whatsapp.com.

Your WhatsApp group in practice
Before you have created a group and added participants to get started. You should think about the rules for your particular group and when agreed, provide these rules to each participant upon joining the group.

WARNING: When you join a WhatsApp group, your phone number will be accessible to all other group members and your profile picture. You can edit your WhatsApp profile setting.