Migration guide
Finding work in WhatsApp groups?
WhatsApp is brilliant for chat. It wasn't built for finding gigs, protecting payment, or proving your reputation. Friendly is — and you can keep WhatsApp running alongside it.
This is an honest comparison, not a takedown. If a row would need a feature we haven't shipped, we omit it.
What changes, line by line
| Capability | WhatsApp groups | Friendly |
|---|---|---|
| Client chat | Yes — best in class | Yes — end-to-end encrypted by default |
| Payment protection | None — you chase invoices and hope | Escrow holds funds and releases when work clears |
| Find work matched to your skills | No — you scroll a noisy group for leads | Yes — a bounty board filtered to your skills |
| Apply to a job | Reply in the thread and hope you're seen | Apply in 2 taps with a tracked application |
| Reputation that travels | No — every group starts you from zero | Verified ratings on a profile you own |
| Your phone number | Exposed to the whole group | Private — you message inside Friendly |
| Meetings | Calls, but no scheduling or calendar | Voice / video from any thread, with calendar |
| Works on desktop without phone tethered | Limited — phone has to be online for some features | Full parity on macOS / Windows / Linux / web |
| Trained on your messages by AI | Subject to the platform's terms | Never — off, permanently |
WhatsApp limits and behaviours are as of mid-2025 per the official WhatsApp Help Centre. We'll update a row if Meta changes it.
How to move without losing clients
- 01
Set up your profile
Sign in on Friendly and add your skills, experience, and rate. This is what clients see when you apply — it replaces the “DM me your portfolio” scramble.
- 02
Bring your repeat clients across
Share your Friendly link with the clients you already work with. The next time they have work, they post a bounty and you talk in an encrypted channel — with payment in escrow.
- 03
Start applying to bounties
Browse the bounty board for gigs matched to your skills. Apply in 2 taps, set a rate that matches the bounty, and track every application in one place.
- 04
Get paid through escrow
When a bounty is awarded, the client's funds are held in escrow and released to your wallet when the work clears. No more chasing invoices in a thread.
- 05
Keep WhatsApp for casual chat
You don't have to delete anything. Many freelancers keep WhatsApp for quick pings and move the actual work — applications, contracts, payment — to Friendly. Both can coexist.
About importing message history
WhatsApp doesn't expose an API for third parties to read group messages, and we won't ask anyone to paste an export into a web form. The honest answer: history stays in WhatsApp. Friendly starts fresh — and for work, that's usually a feature, not a bug.
Ready to get paid properly?
Start free — no platform fee on your first 5 bounties. The web app works today; native apps are on the way.