FM WhatsApp is a modified version of WhatsApp for Android built by Fouad Mokdad. It adds privacy controls, theming and larger file limits, and it has a reputation for being lighter and more stable than the bigger mods.

That reputation is the main reason to choose it. If you have tried GB WhatsApp or WhatsApp Plus and found them heavy, slow to open, or prone to crashing after a theme change, FM WhatsApp is the build people usually switch to.

App Specifications

Detail	Information
App name	FM WhatsApp (FMWhatsApp)
Version	v10.10
File size	83 MB
Android required	5.0 or higher
Base version	WhatsApp 2.26.x
Developer	Fouad Mokdad (FouadMods)
Price	Free
Play Store	Not available
Root needed	No

What Is FM WhatsApp?

FM WhatsApp is an unofficial build of WhatsApp. Its developer takes the official app, adds features Meta left out, and releases it as an APK you install yourself.

The name comes from the developer. Fouad Mokdad has maintained the project for years and also builds Fouad WhatsApp and Fouad iOS WhatsApp. Having one person consistently behind a mod matters more than it sounds — most of the other big names have changed hands several times, which is why their version numbers and feature lists are so inconsistent across websites.

Underneath, it is still WhatsApp. Same number, same contacts, same servers. What changes is how much control you have over what your contacts can see, and how the app looks.

Why people pick FM over the bigger mods

The larger mods compete on feature count. FM competes on how well it runs.

The APK is smaller. It opens faster on mid-range and older phones. It uses less memory sitting in the background. Themes apply without the crashes that plague some builds. And because Fouad has run the project continuously, updates arrive on a predictable schedule rather than in bursts after a developer change.

The trade is that you get fewer novelty features. If you want every experimental toggle available, GB WhatsApp Pro has more. If you want a mod that just works day to day, this is the one.

Main Features

Privacy

Customization

FM ships with its own theme system and a store of downloadable designs. You can change fonts and text size, adjust bubble shapes and tick styles, set per-chat wallpapers, and swap the app icon.

The customization is organised more clearly than in most mods. Settings are grouped by screen home screen, conversation screen, widget rather than dumped into one long list, which makes finding a specific option much faster.

Messaging

Message scheduler for sending at a chosen date and time. Auto reply for when you are busy or asleep. Send to a number without saving it as a contact. Pin more chats than the standard limit. Longer status updates in both text and video.

Security

App lock with fingerprint, PIN or pattern. Chat lock for individual conversations. Two-step verification with a recovery email. Turn that last one on the day you install it is the most useful protection available here.

Anti-ban protection masks the signals Meta’s systems look for. FM’s anti-ban has held up reasonably well, but it is not a guarantee and nobody can honestly present it as one.

Media

Send images at original quality without compression, video without heavy re-encoding, and files well above the official limits. You can also send photos as documents to bypass processing entirely.

Different websites quote different maximum sizes. That is because limits vary between builds, and the receiving app matters if your recipient is on official WhatsApp, their client decides what arrives.

What’s New in the Latest Version

The current release focused on stability rather than new toggles, which is consistent with how this project is maintained.

Anti-ban was updated against Meta’s newer detection methods. Storage and permission handling was reworked for Android 14 and 15, fixing backup failures that affected some devices. Theme application was made more reliable the crash that occurred when switching themes on certain phones is resolved.

New additions include message edit history, in-chat translation, voice status clips, expanded group admin permissions, and per-chat control over automatic media downloads. The settings screen was reorganised with an option to revert to the previous layout.

FM WhatsApp vs Official WhatsApp

Feature	FM WhatsApp	Official WhatsApp
Hide online status	Yes	No
Freeze last seen	Yes	No
Hide blue ticks	Yes	No
Anti-delete messages	Yes	No
Anti-view-once	Yes	No
View status anonymously	Yes	No
Custom themes	Yes	Light/dark only
Message scheduler	Yes	No
Auto reply	Yes	Business app only
Built-in app lock	Yes	Device level only
Call privacy control	Yes	Limited
Larger file limits	Yes	No
Play Store	No	Yes
Automatic updates	No	Yes
Ban risk	Real	None

Best Alternatives

GB WhatsApp Pro: — more features, larger file, heavier on older phones. Pick it if feature count matters more than speed.

Fouad WhatsApp: — same developer, closely related build. Slightly different interface, similar behaviour.

Fouad iOS WhatsApp: — also from Fouad Mokdad, styled to look like the iPhone version of WhatsApp.

MB WhatsApp: — a different project with the same iOS-look idea, plus a “who blocked me” tool.

Yo WhatsApp: — deeper theming than FM, at the cost of a larger, heavier app.

Signal: — if privacy is the actual objective rather than hidden read receipts. Open source, audited, no account risk.

Is FM WhatsApp Safe?

It can be reasonably safe. It cannot be verified as completely safe, and any site claiming otherwise is guessing.

Account bans are a real risk. Using a modified client breaks WhatsApp’s terms of service, and Meta looks for modified clients. FM’s anti-ban reduces detection. It does not eliminate it. People running old builds and sending high message volumes get caught most often.

Encryption cannot be independently verified. Official WhatsApp uses end-to-end encryption. A modified app is built by taking a closed-source application apart, so nobody outside the developer can confirm the encryption path is fully intact. That is not the same as saying encryption is gone it means nobody can prove either way, which is a good reason not to use any mod for genuinely sensitive conversations.

Fake APK files are the bigger practical danger. Any file can be altered before it reaches you. Scan it, compare the size against what is published, and read the permission list at install. Accessibility services and device administrator access have nothing to do with messaging.

Google Play Protect will warn you. That happens with any sideloaded modified app. It does not automatically mean the file is bad, but it is not a warning to dismiss casually.

Do not install this if your number carries your business, your payments, or is the only line to people who matter. A permanent ban is rarely reversed.

What to Know Before Installing

Back up locally. Google Drive backup does not work with mods. You need a local copy stored outside the app.

Backups may not move between mods. Each build uses its own package name and signing key. A backup made in GB WhatsApp often will not restore in FM. This is the most common cause of lost chats and there is usually no fix afterwards.

It is not on the Play Store. Google does not distribute modified apps. Anything there with a similar name is not this app.

How to Download and Install

Back up your chats in your current app first and let it finish completely. Copy important photos and documents somewhere separate too.

Check you have at least 200 MB free. Enable “unknown sources” when Android prompts you, granting it to your browser specifically rather than system-wide.

Open the downloaded file and read the permissions before tapping install. Contacts, storage, camera and microphone are expected. Anything else is a reason to stop.

Enter your number and confirm it with the SMS code. Never share that code with anyone. No app, website or support agent needs it.

Restore your backup when prompted, review the privacy settings, then go back into Android settings and turn unknown sources off again. That last step is the one almost everyone skips.

How to Update

Back up before every update. Download the newer version and install it over the existing app without uninstalling — that preserves your chats, themes and settings.

Stay with the same developer’s build. Installing a different mod over FM causes a signature mismatch, and the fix involves uninstalling, which is where people lose their data.

Check your privacy settings afterwards. Updates frequently reset them to default.

Backup and Restore

Mods cannot use Google Drive, so local backups are the only option. Getting this right is the difference between switching smoothly and losing years of conversations.

Make the backup inside the app. Settings, then Chats, then Chat Backup. Let it finish completely before closing anything.

Copy the folder somewhere safe. Use a file manager to find the database and media folders and copy them to another folder, an SD card, or a computer. Do not rename anything.

Keep important media separately. Photos, voice notes and documents that matter should live outside the app as well. If a restore fails, that separate copy is what saves you.

Why restores fail. Every build uses its own package name and signing key. A backup created in GB WhatsApp is often unreadable to FM, and the reverse is equally true. There is usually no way to convert one to the other. This single issue causes more lost chats than every other problem combined.

Common Problems and Fixes

“App not installed.” Low storage, an incomplete download, or an unsupported Android version. Free space, restart, download again.

Signature mismatch. You are installing over a different developer’s build. Android blocks this by design. Back up first, then uninstall and install fresh.

Verification code not arriving. Check number, country code and signal. Repeated requests trigger a cooldown.

Chats missing after restore. The backup came from another mod, or storage permission is not granted. Check both.

Notifications delayed. Battery optimisation is the cause almost every time. Allow background activity for the app.

App crashes when changing themes. Older themes built for previous versions cause this. Revert to the default theme, then apply a current one.

Media not saving to gallery. Media visibility is off for that conversation, or storage permission is blocked.

What Happens If You Get Banned

A temporary restriction shows a countdown and lifts by itself. Wait it out, and use official WhatsApp meanwhile if you need the number working.

A permanent ban is harder. Appeals rarely succeed when an account is flagged for using a modified client, because the terms genuinely were broken. Prevention is the only reliable approach: stay updated, message normally, and keep your primary number off any mod if losing it would cause real damage.

Requirements and Additional Information

Android 5.0 minimum, though 8.0 and above runs noticeably better. Around 150 MB of free storage and 1 GB of RAM. No root required.

Installation needs “unknown sources” enabled for whichever app you download with, and it should be switched off again afterwards.

This is a third-party modification with no connection to Meta, to WhatsApp LLC, or to appdroid.net. Installing and using it is your own responsibility.

Frequently Asked Questions

Pros and Cons

Pros	Cons
Lighter and faster than the bigger mods	Fewer features than GB WhatsApp Pro
Consistent developer, predictable updates	Still breaks WhatsApp’s terms of service
Well-organised settings, easy to navigate	Real risk of account restriction
Solid anti-ban track record	Encryption cannot be independently verified
Full privacy control set	Manual updates every time
Free	No Google Drive backup

Verdict

FM WhatsApp is the sensible choice among WhatsApp mods. It does not have the longest feature list, and it is not trying to. What it offers is a build that opens quickly, runs without crashing, and gets updated on a schedule you can rely on.

If you have an older or mid-range phone, or you have been frustrated by a heavier mod, this is the one to try. If you want every possible toggle regardless of performance, GB WhatsApp Pro has more.

The risks are the same as any mod: your account can be restricted, the encryption cannot be verified, and updates arrive later than official ones. None of that changes because this build is better made.

Back up before you install, never share your verification code, and turn unknown sources back off when you are finished. Do those three things and you avoid nearly every problem people report.