Using Whatsapp with VOIP SMS Number?

[persistentone]

I just installed Whatsapp and tried to register it to a VOIP number that has SMS capability. This is a permanent number I am keeping. To my surprise, Whatsapp did not allow this. At least for a US based number, it wants you to only use an actual cell phone number, not a VOIP.

I really do NOT want to be giving out my personal cell phone number to everyone I would be willing to chat with in Whatsapp. Is there any way to get a number that is not tied to a physical cell phone? To me it is crazy that Whatsapp even requires you to use a phone number as an identifier. Whatsapp is a TCP based application and why make a hard tie to an older technology like phone numbers?

Maybe this restriction is only applied to US and certain other countries? Are there still countries where a VOIP number can be used as your Whatsapp number?

 

[Beckyblue]

No, I'm really sorry. That's the way how WhatsApp works. If you don't want to share your phone number with random people you gonna be chatting just use another messaging app like KiK where you got only nickname ...

 

[persistentone]

No, I'm really sorry. That's the way how WhatsApp works. If you don't want to share your phone number with random people you gonna be chatting just use another messaging app like KiK where you got only nickname ...

Many people I know in Eastern Europe and Russia are using VOIP numbers to register WhatsApp. So I think there must be more to it than just one policy uniformly applied everywhere.