WhatsApp has rolled out support to be set as the default messaging and calling app on iOS 18.4 on iPhone. This feature is available with the latest update of the app, version 25.8.10.74 on the App Store.
Originally spotted by WABetaInfo, the feature was released to beta testers on TestFlight yesterday. However, we can confirm that the feature now works with the latest stable version of the app that is available in the App Store, as long as you are on iOS 18.4 release candidate.
Apple had first added support to set third-party browsers or email apps as default in iOS 14. Overtime, due to pressure from EU, Apple added support for more third-party apps, including third-party browsers with their own engines in iOS 17.4. This is still limited to users in the EU, at the time of writing. With iOS 18, Apple has opened up this iOS further, for worldwide users.
With iOS 18.4, users can change the following default apps from a single screen in Settings:
- Messaging
- Calling
- Call Filtering
- Browser (browsers with third-party engines are still limited to EU)
- Translation
- Passwords & Codes (this was already supported before but the feature is streamlined)
- Contactless app (alternatives to Wallet)
- Keyboards (this is also another older supported feature)
It is important to note that for iPhone users, Apple already allowed users to set the default messaging and calling apps for specific contacts from the iOS Phone app. Users could either add a WhatsApp calling option to the Favorites section, or even have WhatsApp as the default messaging app. Tapping on either of these would directly open the app and start a call or a message. This option was not the most visible though, as it required users to specifically add someone to their Favorites list.
With this new default apps feature, users do not have to jump through the above steps and can simply set their preferred app as the default. This does not only work with WhatsApp but Zoom also has added support to be set as the default Calling app. It is only a matter of time before other apps such as Teams, Slack, and Signal add support for this feature.
To setup WhatsApp as your default messaging and calling app, follow the below steps:
- Make sure that you are on iOS 18.4 and have the latest version of WhatsApp downloaded from the App Store.
- Go to Settings > Apps > Default Apps on your iPhone.
- Tap on “Default Messaging App” and select WhatsApp.
- Tap on the back button and go to “Default Calling App” and select WhatsApp.
That’s all you need to do to switch from Apple’s default Phone and Messages app.
In theory, this feature should also work on iPadOS since it also has the default apps section in Settings. Zoom already has support for it if you have the app installed on iPadOS 18.4, however, WhatsApp is still not available on iPad so you can’t set it as default.
