[paxys]

WhatsApp. Completely free, and every person or business in large chunks of the world (minus a few notable exceptions like the USA) is on it.

[jorisboris]

WhatsApp doesn’t work for a fixed line or a business phone number

I use my Skype credit when abroad and making local calls so this is quite painful

[paxys]

Try sending a WhatsApp message to the business's phone number. 9 times out of 10 it will work.

[jorisboris]

Airlines, insurance, ikea, … basically everyone who redirects you to a bot menu can’t be reached by WhatsApp

[Martinussen]

In many countries that'll be ~0/10.

[bryanrasmussen]

A 90% success rate isn't even acceptable for an entertainment website, so definitely not good enough for this.

[paranoidrobot]

Unfortunately, WhatsApp will not let you use it without handing them all of your contacts.

I wanted to remain in contact with a friend that had moved overseas, so local texting/calling was no longer an option. They use iMessage and WhatsApp, and I don't have an iPhone.

I can't add them as a contact, I can't get messages from them, I can't send messages to them - nothing, unless I hand over all of my contacts.

[frizlab]

That is not actually true, on iOS at least. They will bug you to do it, but you can use whatsapp w/o giving access to your contacts.

[paranoidrobot]

Unfortunately not on Android.

[frizlab]

One of the perks of the AppStore review I guess: it is not allowed to have the app not work if the contacts permission is not granted IIRC :)

[switch007]

Grapheneos let's you trick apps into thinking they have all your contacts but you actually give them a sub list ("contact scopes")

[na4ma4]

On Android I just rejected access to contacts.

Then to add a contact enter their phone number specifically and it works for me.

[paranoidrobot]

I reinstalled the app just now to re-check.

Click the green 'Add chat' icon.

It prompts: "To help you connect with friends and family, allow WhatsApp access to your contacts" with options for Not now, and Continue.

Not Now closes the dialogue, and returns you to the main chat list.

Continue launches the Android prompt for "Allow WhatsApp to your contacts", clicking Don't Allow returns you to the main chat list.

So, unless there's something else you need to do...

e:

Make a Call works the same way.

I can create a community and a group chat in that, and even send messages to the group.

I can't add anyone to the group though, same "Give us your contacts" thing.

[na4ma4]

I blocked whatsapp from contacts, so it doesn't popup the prompt anymore, but I don't even get the "to help you connect ..." prompt either.

when I go to the green "add chat" icon, I just get a list with my whatsapp contacts (not system contacts) and if I add a phone number I can talk to them directly (and/or add them to the whatsapp contacts instead of system contacts).

  WhatsApp Messenger
  Version 2.24.24.77

[paranoidrobot]

Maybe if you already have some contacts it will let you see your contacts list and add them manually.

But I have none, and so it doesn't.

I don't know the version number, but my check above was from the version on Google Play store. The attempt I initially made was several months ago.

[gmac]

Not remotely a useful alternative for many uses, since it doesn’t call ordinary phone numbers (does it?).

[csomar]

WhatsApp is not an alternative phone. It's a popular messaging app. I don't spend a couple hundreds a year on Skype because I need a chat app but because I have a specific need to call a traditional phone number.