My error. You do need a smartphone! I overlooked the setup required the WhatsApp app on an iPhone or similar device in order to set up on the iMac and iPad. 😱
All I can think of at this point is you
MIGHT be able to borrow an iPhone, switch the SIM card with your brick phone, install WhatsApp on the borrowed phone and use that to setup the WhatsApp apps on your iMac and/or iPad and then switching the SIM card back to your brick phone. But that is a big
MIGHT and there are no guarantees offered or implied that it would work or that you wouldn't have to go through the whole rigamarole again and again.
If you just had to use WhatsApp, you might be able to save some money by purchasing an older used iPhone for the setup and number but then you could run into issues with WhatsApp app compatibility plus there would still be the ongoing cost of the second line which you would have to keep active.
I was confident that it could work, but I should have looked deeper into the situation before I spoke.
