whatsapp keeps on crashing

WhatsApp does use more of your battery and that is a signature of all Meta apps as their use of background processes. For any third party app crashing, the only thing you can do on your device is to remove the app and install it again from the App Store. That will clear in app data on your phone and also download the latest version of the app.

Other than that you will need to contact Meta or wait for an update. There have been 10 updates to WhatsApp in just the last month for bug fixes and many of the updates just introduce additional bugs. It is obvious there is not much testing going on before those updates are released and rely on their users to be the bug testers.

As for Meta not being very helpful, that is also well known.

Epicsigns wrote:

I literally can’t use my WhatsApp. My phone crashes every time I open it.

Remove the app, remove any add-on “coffee shop” VPN apps, or add-on security apps, or similar, restart the iPhone, re-download the WhatsApp app (only), and try again. If the WhatsApp app crashes persist, contact the app vendor (Meta WhatsApp) for assistance.

Epicsigns wrote:

I don’t wanna lose data

Most apps might cache data locally, but do not save the only copy of important data locally, as devices get lost or stolen, or get dropped or dunked or otherwise destroyed. So the vendors host the important data elsewhere. This can vary by app and vendor, though.

Check with Meta WhatsApp support — this is their app — for where they might store data, and for assistance with backups and recovery options that they might offer with their app, if any.

As for cross-platform app alternatives to Meta WhatsApp, Signal app works well and is widely available.

WhatsApp is not an Apple product. Contact the app developer here --> App Support or WhatsApp FAQ  Or Restoring your chat history - WhatsApp FAQ or Contact WhatsApp

WhatsApp Business is not an Apple product. Contact the app developer here --> Developer Website  or App Support  or WhatsApp business products - WhatsApp FAQ

I did. They weren’t too helpful

That is not surprising.

I've lost count of the number of updates from WhatsApp just this month. Fix one thing and break 2 other things.