WhatsApp is one of the apps that receive frequent updates and one of the most downloaded apps on the Google Play Store.
In fact, the application’s APK updates are released on almost a daily basis. But unlike other apps, each single update of WhatsApp receives thousands of downloads.
Downloading the latest update of any app is a good practice as each update comes along with improved performance, stability, and fixed bugs.
WhatsApp has released the latest APK download file with version number 2.16.98. The update meant for Android devices-smartphone and tablet-weighs 28.31 MB. Notably, the update has no new feature and the change of performance is hard to notice. The routine features of the application are maintained: instant exchange of messages, group chatting, location sharing options, video and image sharing, voice calling, documents sharing, Google Drive backup and text formatting options among other tons of features. An area of concern is the video calling feature. Unfortunately, it has not been activated in this update but it’s expected soon.
It should be remembered that this is a beta release and may not only be unstable but also have some bugs. Nonetheless, you can proceed to download the beta version file for your device or wait for the stable update to reach Play Store which takes quite some time. So apparently, many anxious users prefer the APK file as they wait for the stable version. Consequently, here is a recall on how to successfully install the APK update on your Android device.
Procedure of downloading and installing WhatsApp APK on Android devices
Let’s recall on how to download and install a WhatsApp APK download file on Android smartphones and tablets. Remember this a third party file and may be blocked by your device unless you change a few settings. Here is the procedure:
At the outset, go to Settings>Security on your Android device. Check “Unknown sources” option. This allows installation of apps from unknown sources, that is, APK files. Then go to WhatsApp website and download the APK file for your device. Lastly, open the downloaded file and follow the procedural instructions on your screen to install the update.
You are bound to experience some problems, however, that’s normal with beta releases. You can as well go back to the stable version, just uninstall the beta version then proceed to Google Play Store to download and install a stable WhatsApp.