Whatsapp is available for Windows 8 phones.

Good news for owners of Windows Phone 8 Lumia smartphones. The enormously popular instant messaging client WhatsApp has been updated for the latest version of the operating system, joining Facebook Chat, MSN messaging, Skype, Viber and a host of other alternatives.

The developers were working with Nokia to produce a version that is properly optimised for the latest Windows Phone platform experience.

In case WhatsApp is new to you, it's for instant messaging using text, of course, but also allows you to send pictures, audio and video files. It's also great for group chats, which can be tricky to manage using some of the alternatives.

Unlike SMS, WhatsApp uses your data connection, whether that's 3G, LTE or WiFi, to send and receive messages. This can mean cost-savings for users, of course, which is another factor that has undoubtedly contributed to the popularity of the service.