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Title: How to set up a WhatsApp account without Facebook or Instagram

Date: Sun, 15 Jun 2025 21:00:24 +0000
Link: https://www.engadget.com/social-media/how-to-...

There's no shortage of reasons to stay off the Meta ecosystem, which includes
Facebook and Instagram, but there are some places where WhatsApp remains the
main form of text-based communication. The app is a great alternative to SMS,
since it offers end-to-end encryption and was one of the go-to methods to
send uncompressed photos and videos between iPhone and Android users before
Apple adopted RCS. Even though Facebook, which later rebranded to Meta,
acquired WhatsApp in 2014, it doesn't require a Facebook or Instagram account
to get on WhatsApp ΓÇö just a working phone number.

How to create a WhatsApp account without Facebook or Instagram

To start, you need to download WhatsApp on your smartphone. Once you open the
app, you can start the registration process by entering a working phone
number. After entering your phone number, you'll receive a unique six-digit
code that will complete the registration process. From there, you can sort
through your contacts on your attached smartphone to build out your WhatsApp
network, but you won't have to involve Facebook or Instagram at any point.

Alternatively, you can request a voice call to deliver the code instead.
Either way, once you complete the registration process, you have a WhatsApp
account that's not tied to a Facebook or Instagram account.

How to link WhatsApp to other Meta accounts

If you change your mind and want more crossover between your Meta apps, you
can go into the app's Settings panel to change that. In Settings, you can
find the Accounts Center option with the Meta badge on it. Once you hit it,
you'll see options to "Add Facebook account" and "Add Instagram account."
Linking these accounts means Meta can offer more personalized experiences
across the platforms because of the personal data that's now interconnected.

You can always remove your WhatsApp account from Meta's Account Center by
going back into the same Settings panel. However, any previously combined
info will stay combined, but Meta will stop combining any personal data after
you remove the account.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at
https://www.engadget.com/social-media/how-to-...
without-facebook-or-instagram-210024705.html?src=rss

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