Lauren Cullen is an associate lawyer at Siskinds LLP in London, Ontario. She practices exclusively in personal injury litigation and is a member of the Ontario Trial Lawyers Association (OTLA). Lauren completed her law degree at Western University in 2016 and subsequently articled at a top personal injury law firm in Toronto.

WhatsApp might be a little-known messaging app in the US, but in many parts of the globe, it's an essential part of everyday life. The Facebook-owned app is easily one of the most popular messaging services in the world.

As mentioned, free worldwide calling to family and friends is WhatsApp's most popular feature. As we outlined in our guide to using WhatsApp internationally, if you have access to Wi-Fi, you'll never have to worry about international restrictions or fees.

One of the reasons WhatsApp is so popular is because, unlike SMS, it uses end-to-end encryption, which means nobody other than the message recipients can view your messages. When you make a call on WhatsApp, third parties are unable to listen in to your conversation.

To understand WhatsApp's popularity, you need to understand it was one of the first mobile apps to offer free, internet-based messaging. Instead of sending texts using cellular-data networks, where fees may apply, WhatsApp primarily relies on a Wi-Fi connection to send and receive messages and calls for free.

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After downloading the app, you'll notice you need your phone number to create your account. Unlike some other platforms, WhatsApp doesn't use special usernames. Instead, WhatsApp identifies people by their number. This means anyone who uses WhatsApp is automatically added to your contact list, which makes set up a breeze.

If you want added security, you can set up two-step verification in WhatsApp's settings menu. Here you can choose to add a PIN, or personal identification number, to prohibit anyone from maliciously accessing your account.

There are several ways to make calls on WhatsApp, though you can only place a call from the mobile app version of WhatsApp, not the desktop version. You can place individual calls or group calls, in both audio or video, for free on WhatsApp.

WhatsApp helped shape modern communications as we know it, and it continues to roll out updates that will only improve the app. And as Facebook's second-biggest property with billions of dedicated users, it doesn't look like WhatsApp is going anywhere any time soon.

To send a voice message, go to any WhatsApp chat, and hold down the microphone icon to the right of the type text box. You'll see the timer begin to tick upward as you record. Once you release your finger from the button, your message will immediately send.

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Once you're up and running, you'll want to get familiar with what you can do with WhatsApp, from making international calls to sending voice messages.

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Even if you use WhatsApp without a Wi-Fi connection, you'll simply be dipping into your data usage, rather than accumulating SMS or cellular charges. And with so many mobile plans today offering unlimited data, you might not even need to worry about finding Wi-Fi access.

While WhatsApp's claim to fame is that it uses an internet connection to send and receive messages, you do have the option to use mobile data if you're without Wi-Fi.

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In the case of arrest, special constables can search you and your immediate surroundings, including any vehicle you are in. They are not entitled to carry firearms and are generally unarmed; however, be mindful that they may carry handcuffs, pepper spray, and batons. Misconduct by Special Constables: Special constables are employees of the university and are required to abide by the institution’s internal policies, including employee codes of conduct and anti-discrimination policies.  If you believe a special constable has acted improperly, make a complaint to the university. In cases of suspected wrongdoing, the local police may conduct a criminal investigation into the special constable’s behavior.

As students return to universities across the country, they will likely notice the presence of police-like “campus cops”.Despite their colloquial nickname and similar uniform, special constables, as they are formally titled, are not police officers. They are peace officers who have been granted police authority through provincial legislation. Practically, they perform a near-identical role to that of city police; within the boundaries of the university they respond to emergencies, conduct investigations, and make arrests. Uniquely, special constables can act as both law enforcement officers and as custodians of university policy. This allows them the discretion to deal with incidents such as those of sexual violence by means of criminal sanctions, campus-based conduct polices, or both. If Approached by a Special Constable: In performing their duties, special constables may be required to approach students and campus-visitors. The constables should be readily identifiable by their uniform but, if uncertain, you are entitled to ask for their badge number. It is important that students treat any interaction with a special constable as seriously as they would treat an interaction with a member of the city police. If approached, students should be polite and cooperative. The constable may ask your name, address, what you are doing, or where you are going. They may ask you to provide identification. By law, you do not have to identify yourself to a special constable unless you are driving a vehicle or have committed a provincial offence, such as public intoxication. However, in most cases it is in students’ best interest to identify themselves and cooperate with the constables.  Under certain circumstances, such as suspicion of a crime, special constables are entitled to search you by means of a “pat down”. However, unless you are placed under arrest, you are entitled to refuse such a search.If Arrested by a Special Constable: Special constables have the authority to make arrests. If you are arrested by a special constable, they are required to promptly inform you of the following:

You can also share your location on WhatsApp, whether you're trying to meet up with friends or want someone to know exactly where you are. To share your location on WhatsApp, simply tap the "+" icon to the left of the type text box in any chat, and choose "Location."

You can also choose to use WhatsApp on a "low data" setting by toggling the "Low Data Usage" switch to "on." For a more detailed breakdown of your data usage, click "Network Usage" to see how much data you're using by category, such as messages sent or received, bytes sent or received via chat media, and more.

Now that you've got the basics down, WhatsApp offers a lot of features for managing your contacts and conversations. For example, you may notice one or two check marks appear beside your messages on WhatsApp. The number and color of the check marks indicate whether your message has been sent, delivered or read.

The main draw of WhatsApp is it allows you to send and receive calls and messages using only an internet connection, which means it's virtually free to use and ideal for international calling. There are no fees to sign up, and no data plan allowances to worry about.

Starting a chat is easy: In the app, select the "Chats" icon from the menu at the bottom of the screen, then select the "New Chat" icon in the top right corner. From there, you'll just need to select a contact.

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While WhatsApp is similar to other messaging services like iMessage or Messages by Google, it still offers a few key advantages, the most significant being cross-platform functionality (between Android and iOS, for example).

If you're keen on getting a group chat started, you can host up to 256 participants. Learn how to start a WhatsApp group chat, whether you have an iOS or Android device. Conversely, you may want to know how to join a WhatsApp group chat.

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To check how much data the app is using, go to the app's "Settings" menu and select "Data and Storage Usage." Here, you can change the settings for "Media Auto-Downloads" so that media such as photos, videos, audio, and documents only download when you're connected to Wi-Fi.

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WhatsApp is a convenient and free way to send all kinds of media to your friends and family. You can send photos and videos via any individual or group chat, and because WhatsApp uses the internet rather than a cellular-data network, the images will maintain their original resolution quality.

Not only is WhatsApp simple to use, it also offers far more features and customizations than traditional SMS messaging — all for free. If you're already familiar with the app, you may be interested in our favorite WhatsApp tips and tricks.

Once you set up your WhatsApp account, you can begin sending messages through the platform either to individual contacts, or to groups.

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But if you're a newbie, you'll want to check out our guide below. From how to sign up to WhatsApp's best features, here's everything you need to know to get started.

At a glance, WhatsApp may seem like nothing more than a text messaging app, but it can do much more. Here's a brief rundown:

Fast forward to now: WhatsApp is preferred by over 2 billion users for its ability to streamline communications, no matter their device or location.

If you have a limited amount of data and don't want to be charged data overage fees, you can turn off WhatsApp's ability to use cellular data, so that it's only accessible when you have internet access.

In any individual or group chat on WhatsApp, you can send voice messages — a convenient feature if you're not able to type text, or if you prefer to record your voice to get your point across.