The aim of this study was twofold: 1) to investigate first year university students’ use of WhatsApp for personal and educational purposes and 2) to examine their perceptions of the formal integration of WhatsApp into their education. A cross-sectional study design was followed in which 154 university students completed a questionnaire. The results showed that participants had access to smartphones and WhatsApp. The use of WhatsApp was common among participants. Students use WhatsApp for personal and social purposes on a daily basis. However, among the participants, the use of WhatsApp for educational purposes was limited. The participants perceived the integration of WhatsApp into their education to be easy, fun, and useful. They had positive feelings and intentions about using WhatsApp in their formal learning if it was introduced. But they were not sure about whether the use of WhatsApp in their education would be accepted by the wider community. Based on the findings, a set of recommendations is presented
