WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging apps in the world, with over 2 billion users. A key feature of WhatsApp is that it uses your phone number as your identifier on the platform. When you sign up for WhatsApp, you verify your account using the phone number linked to your smartphone. This allows you to easily connect with people in your contacts who also use WhatsApp.
Can you use email instead of a phone number?
A common question many people have is whether you can use an email address rather than a phone number when setting up and using WhatsApp. The short answer is no – WhatsApp requires a phone number and currently does not allow you to sign up or use the service with an email address instead.
There are a few good reasons why WhatsApp relies on phone numbers rather than email addresses:
- Phone numbers are more universal – not everyone has an email address, but most people have a phone number they can use for WhatsApp
- It’s easier to verify a phone number – WhatsApp uses automated verification via SMS or voice call to validate your number
- Reduced spam – Requiring a valid phone number makes it harder for spammers and bots to misuse the platform
- Easier connections – You can instantly see which of your contacts is already using WhatsApp if it’s linked to their phone number
Relying on phone numbers rather than email addresses for user identification is an intentional design decision by WhatsApp to optimize the user experience and security on the platform.
Workarounds to use WhatsApp with email
While WhatsApp does not directly allow you to use an email address when signing up, there are some workarounds people have found to link their email to their WhatsApp account:
Using a virtual phone number service
Some online services provide virtual phone numbers you can use to verify your WhatsApp account during signup. Once your account is set up, you can link your email address in your WhatsApp settings to receive notifications by email when you get new messages.
The steps would be:
- Get a virtual phone number from a service like Google Voice or Skype
- Install WhatsApp and sign up using your virtual number for verification
- Once your account is set up, go to WhatsApp Settings > Notifications > Receive Notifications by Email and add your email
This allows you to use WhatsApp on your phone while getting notifications sent to your email when you receive new WhatsApp messages. The limitation is you’d still need the virtual phone number to sign up and verify your account.
Linking your email to a companion app
Some third-party apps like WhatsApp Web Scanner allow you to use WhatsApp on other devices like your computer. With these apps, you can link your existing WhatsApp account to your email address in order to send and receive WhatsApp messages on your computer.
The steps would be:
- Download the companion app like WhatsApp Web Scanner on your computer
- Use the app to scan your WhatsApp QR code from your phone and link devices
- In the companion app settings, add your email address
- You can now send/receive WhatsApp messages on your computer via email
Again, this still requires you to have a smartphone with WhatsApp set up with your phone number. But it provides a way to additionally link your email to your WhatsApp account for messaging through your computer.
The pros and cons of using email for WhatsApp
Here are some of the potential pros and cons if WhatsApp allowed direct sign up and use with an email address instead of a phone number:
Pros
- Don’t need to have a phone number to use WhatsApp
- Easier to remember an email versus phone number
- Can use WhatsApp across devices more seamlessly
- Notifications consolidated to email rather than phone
Cons
- Higher potential for spam and abuse without phone number verification
- Harder to automatically connect to contacts without a unified phone number
- Lose ability to easily use WhatsApp on a second device like a tablet
- Email addresses can be more easily hacked versus phone numbers
Overall, allowing only phone number sign up does have some clear advantages for user security, ease of use, and connecting with contacts. But the option to also link an email to receive WhatsApp notifications and messages across devices could be convenient for some use cases.
The likelihood of WhatsApp adding email support
Given that using phone numbers instead of emails is an intentional design choice by WhatsApp, it seems unlikely that they will add direct email signup and usage in the near future. However, as more users want to connect across multiple devices, WhatsApp may consider optionally allowing users to add an email for notifications and companion app login purposes.
Here are some scenarios where WhatsApp could potentially expand email integration in the future:
- Allowing users to add an email to receive notifications
- Enabling login to linked devices like WhatsApp Web via email
- Adding an email field alongside phone number in user profiles
- Letting businesses display an email address instead of phone number
However, any major changes would likely be optional rather than removing the phone number requirement entirely. Phone numbers are simply too ingrained into the identity and security systems in WhatsApp at this point.
Conclusion
While WhatsApp currently does not allow you to use an email address instead of a phone number when signing up, there are some workarounds to link your email to your WhatsApp account. This can allow you to get email notifications and use companion apps to message WhatsApp through your computer. However, the phone number requirement is an intentional decision by WhatsApp that has some benefits for user experience. Expanding email integration further would introduce risks that WhatsApp seems unwilling to take at this time. But optional new email features could emerge in the future to bridge the gap between phone and computer usage for some users.