About time! WhatsApp for Apple Watch launches - allowing you to stay on top of chats without your iPhone

After more than a decade on smartphones, WhatsApp is finally making the jump to smartwatches.

Meta's hugely popular chat platform is officially launching on Apple Watch today – letting people read and send text messages from their wrist. 

It means users can also send and receive voice messages by just speaking into their wrist – like Buzz Lightyear or someone from Star Trek. 

For the three billion WhatsApp users around the world, the days of having to pull a phone out of a bag or pocket are over.

And WhatsApp says the user experience will be just as good as on a handset.   

In a statement, WhatsApp said it will keep making WhatsApp on Apple Watch 'an even better experience' going forward. 

'We look forward to delivering even more useful functionality for people with Apple Watch in the future,' it said.

It follows a similar move for iPads earlier this year – described as one of its 'biggest requests'. 

According to today's announcement, the new WhatsApp Apple Watch app requires Apple Watch Series 4 or later, running watchOS 10 or later. 

Key features on WhatsApp are available on the new Apple Watch version – meaning people won't feel they have to switch to smartphone to get the full experience. 

Call notifications, the ability to send and receive read text messages, and the ability to record and send voice messages are all part of the new watchOS app.

Users can also quickly tap to react to messages with emojis and are able to see 'clear images and stickers' on their Apple Watch. 

Just like on smartphones, personal WhatsApp messages and calls remain private on Apple Watch thanks to end-to-end encryption. 

This security standard ensures only the participants of a chat can read messages, and no-one in between – not even the company that owns the messaging service (such as Meta). 

According to a spokesperson, WhatsApp for Apple Watch is gradually rolling out from today in all countries where WhatsApp and iPhone are supported. 

If a user's Apple Watch and iPhone are linked and have automatic downloads turned on, WhatsApp for Apple Watch will automatically appear on their Apple Watch. Alternatively, they can install WhatsApp for Apple Watch using the Watch app. 

Social media consultant Rhea Freeman said she will definitely use WhatsApp on a smartwatch, calling it a 'very good move' on Meta's part. 

'People want to be connected all the time,' Ms Freeman told the Daily Mail.

'Whether that’s good for them is another discussion, but anxiety can come from not being able to get messages or leaving someone mid conversation. 

'If you’re travelling or on the tube, it’s a lot more convenient and possibly safer to respond on watch. You’re also more likely to feel or see those notifications versus a phone that’s in a bag.

'I think it also shows just what a key part WhatsApp has become in our lives – we can’t bear to be without it.

'It is such a key part of many people’s communication channels.'

WhatsApp, first released in 2009, was designed to send the equivalent of text messages but via the internet.

It may seem unthinkable now but it initially cost $0.99 per year to subscribe. 

It was acquired in 2009 by Mark Zuckerberg's company – then known as Facebook Inc – for a whopping $21.8 billion. 

In 2016, the charge was scrapped and the popularity of the platform soared. 

Four years ago, WhatsApp started letting users send messages from a computer without their smartphone connected. 

A couple of years later, a single WhatsApp account became available across multiple smartphones.

WhatsApp has been officially supported for iPads and iPadOS since May 27 this year.