Whatsapp is the most popular instant messaging app
for Android, IOS, and other mobile platforms. When
users register to Whatsapp for the first time, they get a
1-year free trial period. After that, users have to pay
$0.99 (or ₹60)
license for one more year. Paying one dollar a year for
an app that you probably use every day is not a big
deal, especially if we consider that before Whatsapp we
used to send SMS, incurring in a cost for each message
we sent. So, why wouldn’t I pay for an app that even
saves me money?
Whatsapp fees can only be paid using Paypal or
Google Wallet. It might be enough for most of us, but
in some countries it can get very difficult, or even
impossible, to use them. Moreover, many people are
having economic issues and every dollar they can save
counts. This guide is intended to help those people.
Method 1 : Delete and recreate your account
This is a very simple method to extend your Whatsapp
service for one year. All you have to do is delete your
account (is not the same as uninstalling the
Whatsapp app from your smartphone) and create it
again .
Note: this method only works if your subscription
has not expired yet. So only try it if your service is
still active.
Before you proceed, let me warn you that deleting your
account will have some minor side effects on your
Whatsapp. Specifically, it will:
Remove you from all groups you were in .
Like when you exit from a group. So maybe it is
a good idea to note down every single group you
are enrolled and warn your mates that you are
forced to leave the group, so they will invite you
again afterwards.
Erase your message history . But don’t worry,
you can backup your message conversations and
restore them later. To create the backup just go to
Settings > Chat settings > Backup
conversations , that will save them in your
internal storage.
So, once you are aware and you may have taken the
measures indicated to make the process more bearable,
you can proceed to delete your account following these
easy steps:
1. Open your Whatsapp app and go to
Settings > Account > Delete my
account . There, you will be presented the screen
below.
2. Select the country your SIM card is registered
to. It will automatically change the country code
to the selected country.
3. Type your phone number.
4. Tap on Delete my account . This will log
you out and remove any existing link between
Whatsapp and your account.
How to delete your WhatsApp account
Now that your account is deleted, just open the
Whatsapp app again and register your phone
number as you did the first time. If you backed up
your conversations before, Whatsapp will find them
and ask you whether you want to restore them or not.
Once your messages are restored, you can go to
Settings > Account > Payment info and
check that the service expiration date has been
extended for one more year . Now it’s time to tell
your friends to invite you back to the groups you were
in.
Method 2 : Extend your license for lifetime with an
iPhone or iPad
It is possible to extend your Whatsapp service for
lifetime using an iPhone . Well, in fact it will extend
until 2022, but it gives us plenty of time not to worry
about. So, if you can get one of your friend’s iPhone or
iPad for a few minutes, you can follow the next steps
to renew your license.
1. Uninstall the Whatsapp app from your device.
Do not forget to backup your conversations by
going to Settings > Chat settings >
Backup conversations .
2. If your friend was already using Whatsapp with
his/her account, backup your friend’s
conversations and uninstall it . Otherwise, skip
this step.
3. Install and open the Whatsapp app on the
iPhone and register your phone number. You
will receive a verification code through SMS to
your smartphone.
4. Enter the verification code on your friend’s
iPhone.
5. The app should now work on your friend’s iPhone
with your Whatsapp account.
6. Now you have to delete Whatsapp from your
friend’s iPhone. Your friend can now reinstall it
and restore his/her conversations.
7. Install Whatsapp on your smartphone and
register it using your phone number.
8. Once you are in, go to Settings >
Account > Payment Info and check that
your service has been extended to 2022 .
Method 3 : Let the service expire and wait
This is the easiest method, it consists in letting your
Whatsapp account expire and wait for a few days
(normally 2 or 3 days). After that, Whatsapp will
realize about your inactivity and will extend your
service for free for a few more months. They do that to
prevent you from using any other Whatsapp
alternatives such as Line, Telegram or Viber.
So, if you can afford being disconnected from
Whatsapp for 2 or 3 days, this is a very interesting
solution; otherwise, take a look at the other methods.
Method 4 : Extend your license for lifetime with a
Nokia phone
This method allows you to extend the Whatsapp service
on your Android smartphone for lifetime. The only
thing you need is your old Nokia phone with
Symbian . If you don’t have one, I don’t think you will
have many problems to find one. So, when you have
your Android and Nokia cellphones ready, follow the
next steps:
1. Uninstall the Whatsapp app from your
Android device. Do not forget to backup your
conversations by going to Settings > Chat
settings > Backup conversations .
2. If your Nokia phone had the Whatsapp app
installed, backup the conversations if you need
and uninstall it.
3. Switch off both cellphones, remove your SIM
card from your Android smartphone and insert it
to the Nokia phone.
4. On your Nokia, go to whatsapp.com ,
download a fresh new version of Whatsapp and
install it.
5. Open the Whatsapp app and register your
phone number . Use the app for a while, open
some chats and send some messages.
6. Switch off the Nokia phone and change your SIM
card to your Android phone.
7. Download Whatsapp from Google Play, open it
and register your phone number.
8. Once you are in, go to Settings >
Account > Payment Info and check that
your service has been extended to lifetime .
