| Sumario: | The purpose of this study is to investigate how WhatsApp disrupt or enhance students' academic performance. This study relied on a qualitative approach to investigate WhatsApp as both an academic disruptor and academic performance enhancer in tertiary education institutions. Participants were selected from two universities namely public and state universities. Snowball purposive sampling allowed for the selection of twenty students capable of providing deep insight into WhatsApp and education with informed consent. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews. Findings revealed that WhatsApp can cause academic disruption through addiction to non-educational communities, but also, it can enhance academic performance through building and improving students' community of learning. The study concluded that institutions, lecturers and literate friends and family members can enhance students' academic performance through WhatsApp functions by expanding the community of learning to enable them to acquire and share knowledge, therefore, the study calls for a wider use of WhatsApp to enhance academic performance and students via a focus on a community of learning.
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