WhatsApp Plus is an unofficial Android app based on WhatsApp, the famous and frequently used mobile messaging app. However, WhatsApp Plus is not made by the same company. It's a modified version of WhatsApp, and we recommend against using it.

WhatsApp Plus Vs. WhatsApp Original---What's the Difference?

WhatsApp Plus is developed by a developer called Rafalete. However, the original WhatsApp is made by WhatsApp LLC---which joined Facebook in 2014, and is now part of Meta.

WhatsApp Plus is still around and is continuously being developed by Rafalete. However, since it no longer appears on Google Play, the only way to get it is to download it from the developer's website.

The Unique Features of WhatsApp Plus

WhatsApp Plus boasts a lot of features that the original WhatsApp does not. This includes hiding features, like being able to hide your status and the double blue checkmark that indicates you have seen a message. Moreover, WhatsApp Plus has many supported themes, emoji variants, an anti-delete system for messages, additional font styles, and more.

These unique features make WhatsApp Plus seem more appealing to some users than the original WhatsApp. Also, you cannot have both WhatsApp Plus and WhatsApp on the same phone---the former will overwrite the latter.

Is WhatsApp Plus Safe?

We recommend against using WhatsApp Plus to keep your private data safe. WhatsApp Plus is an unofficial, modified version of WhatsApp. Rather than just trusting WhatsApp with your data, you're playing your trust in this other developer.

You have to get WhatsApp Plus from outside Google Play, and the Play Store hasn't checked it for safety.

Malicious Android apps can contain malware, or they may just not respect your privacy and may send your private data elsewhere---especially important with a encrypted messaging app you depend on to keep conversations safe.

There is no available user agreement or terms of use for WhatsApp Plus, which isn't a great sign.

Is WhatsApp Plus Legal?

The technical legality varies depending on what country you're in. However, while you almost certainly won't get into legal trouble for using the app yourself (that kind of thing is generally reserved for the developers of apps like WhatsApp Plus), using WhatsApp Plus breaks the terms of service set by the original WhatsApp. As a result, your WhatsApp account could be banned. If your WhatsApp account gets banned, you'll lose all of your WhatsApp contacts, chat history, and other data from the app.

Should You Use WhatsApp Plus?

Ultimately, we recommend sticking with applications from trustworthy sources, especially when your private data is potentially at risk. You're better off getting the official version of WhatsApp from the Google Play Store (or iPhone App Store.)