When I came to the U.S. in 2019, I quickly learned that here people prefer using SMS/text messages to chat. Many Syracuse University students use iMessage to communicate because many are iPhone users, which leaves out students who prefer platforms such as WhatsApp and WeChat.

I noticed the conflict between messaging platforms when in my public communications class during group work. While trying to complete projects together not everybody had an iPhone, therefore we couldn’t use iMessage. This was my chance to step up and warm my friends up to the idea of using the lesser-known WhatsApp. But before I could do that, they introduced me to GroupMe, a supposedly ideal app for group conversations and inclusive of all mobile operating systems.

My journey to familiarizing myself with the app came crashing down when I traveled back home to India when COVID-19 hit the U.S. in March 2020. I switched from my American phone number to a local one, so I had to re-enter GroupMe with a different account. For me, even though I had the GroupMe app, the messages being sent on the app started appearing hours later as text messages on my phone. Any message I sent to the group would reach them hours later too, as though they were traveling through time zones to reach my friends in the U.S. Additionally, links and photographs wouldn’t load fast enough for me. The entire process was downright inconvenient.

I learned that it’s much more convenient to use WhatsApp when you are an international student. WhatsApp allows audio and video calls that can be made through mobile data or Wi-Fi, which are features that GroupMe does not have that make networking and connectivity so much easier. So as long as you have an internet connection, you can connect with anyone across the globe, making it a lot less expensive than international mobile plans. I genuinely don’t know a single international student from India who does not use WhatsApp to connect with their family and friends back home.

When it comes to group chats, GroupMe can accommodate up to 5,000 members in a single group chat, while WhatsApp can accommodate 256 users in every group formed, but having more than 50 people in a group can get noisy and difficult to keep up with anyway. A limit of 256 members on WhatsApp seems ideal and efficient for students, family members or friends to connect from different parts of the world.

Additionally, WhatsApp is more inclusive of international numbers, as one can actively participate in a group chat with a non-local number without re-entering the group, which is a weak point for GroupMe. However, both apps are usable with all types of mobile operating systems.

GroupMe allows people to participate in groups even if they don’t have the app which allows people to reply to others, RSVP to events and participate in polls. However, the app comes with its disadvantages of being ineffective in getting the messages across instantly. I remember trying to respond to a group member before I downloaded the app — by the time I could reply to a question or suggestion, the conversation had already moved on.

All students should try using WhatsApp instead of GroupMe as it offers a range of features that makes it more efficient, accessible and technical. The availability of WhatsApp makes it most ideal for students with international numbers and varying mobile operating systems, hence improving communication for students to use for group projects, events and the workplace.

Shriya Anitha Vinod Menon is a junior television, radio and film major with a minor in psychology. Her column appears bi-weekly and she can be reached at svmenon@syr.edu.

Published on April 18, 2022 at 12:09 am