Improvement Based On Feedback
- Whatsapp already has a privacy policy and users already have the option to report and block unwanted chats, but to keep the random chat feature more ethical, it should not be available for business accounts. More research should be done to make this available for business accounts. For the part to keep it ethical so that nobody can just spam you, Whatsapp should let the user know upfront about their account report or ban rules.
I Finally Get Why People Obsessively Use Whatsapp
WhatsApp is a way of life. With stickers, statuses, groups, and easy-to-use messages, it’s more than just a texting service.
I’d always dismissed it as yet another messaging platform, but now I get it. After moving to South America at the beginning of 2020 to work remotely for four months, I slowly accepted I’d have to download the Facebook-owned app.
I’d resisted for years. I prefer iMessage on my iPhone and felt overwhelmed by Messenger, Slack, Skype, Signal, Google Hangouts, Google Voice, Snapchat, and even Twitter DMs. Enough was enough. Plus, did I really want Facebook privy to all my text conversations?
But once I started using WhatsApp, I saw how seamless it actually was. Unlike most messaging apps, WhatsApp mimics SMS texting services instead of trying to build a new interface. How refreshing to open up WhatsApp and feel like I’m back with my usual text messages. Nice and simple, and most importantly, user-friendly. With end-to-end encryption for each message, I now feel more secure using WhatsApp than when using other platforms to communicate.
My newfound respect for WhatsApp does start to dissolve with the Mac desktop app, though. It’s cumbersome to use since it’s synced to the phone app. It’s not standalone, which can be frustrating when your iPhone battery is low or you’re having connectivity issues.
How Does Whatsapp Work
The main draw of WhatsApp is it allows you to send and receive calls and messages using only an internet connection, which means it’s virtually free to use and ideal for international calling. There are no fees to sign up, and no data plan allowances to worry about.
While WhatsApp is similar to other messaging services like iMessage or Messages by Google, it still offers a few key advantages, the most significant being cross-platform functionality .
At a glance, WhatsApp may seem like nothing more than a text messaging app, but it can do much more. Here’s a brief rundown of WhatsApp’s core features:
- Voice and video calls: In addition to voice calls, WhatsApp also offers video calls, including a group function, which allows up to eight participants on one call.
- Voice messaging: You can record and send voice messages to individual chats or group chats.
- Secure messaging: WhatsApp uses end-to-end encryption, a secure communication standard where only the people who are messaging can read the messages.
- You can send videos, photos, and GIFs without worrying that your images will be pixelated or not downloadable, which can sometimes happen across SMS messages between different mobile platforms and wireless carriers.
- Document sharing: WhatsApp lets you send all kinds of documents, such as PDFs, spreadsheets, and slideshows without the hassle of email or separate document-sharing apps.
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Why Is Whatsapp So Popular
If you live in the United States, you might not know many people who use WhatsApp. The service is much more popular in other regions of the world, serving as the default means of communication in India, Latin America, parts of Europe, and more. In contrast, the US is one of the few countries that still regularly uses “old-school” SMS text messaging.
There are a few reasons why WhatsApp is much more used than SMS worldwide.
Turn Off Chat Backups
If youre really concerned about maintaining the privacy of your communications, another option is to turn off your backups. You can even delete any chats youve already backed up. And, of course, youll need to make sure that the people youre texting arent backing up the messages, either.
On an iPhone: Turn off Cloud backups by going to WhatsApp > Settings > Chats > Chat Backup > Auto Backup, and set it to Off. Then go to your iPhones System Settings > iCloud > Storage > Manage Storage > WhatsApp > Backup and make sure its off there, too. Delete old chats by going to iOS settings > iCloud > Storage > Manage Storage > WhatsApp Messenger > Edit > Delete All.
On an Android phone: Go to WhatsApp > Menu > Settings > Chats > Chat Backup > Back up to Google Drive > Never. Delete old chats by logging into, clicking on the gear icon, and going to Settings > Managing Apps > WhatsApp Messenger > Options > Delete data. Disconnect the app from Google Drive.
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What Is The Point Of My Work
When I started my company, I began with the simple goal of helping people to amplify their voices on social media. Giving our customers a platform to share their stories, services, and ideas is our central goal. However, I constantly need to reassess that goal and ask if we especially me are staying focused on that mission. In Good To Great, Jim Collins encourages business leaders to reflect on their companys core competency and focus relentlessly on that one thing.
To become great in that one objective is the point. Since most of us spend at least 40 hours a week at work, we should always ask ourselves, whats the point? If its to make money or to put food on the table, those are valid reasons, but is that enough for you to feel fulfilled? Is work giving you what you need? Does it have a purpose beyond mere survival?
All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered the point is to discover them.Galileo Galilei
How To Change The Language To The Options Available In Supported Countries:
The option of changing the language on the android phone might be available in the app itself. If you cant find one, then it might not be available or supported in your country. If present, follow the steps below:
Step 1: Open WhatsApp on your device.
Step 2: Tap on More Options on the three vertical dots present.
Step 3: Click on Settings and choose Chats.
Step 4: After being done with the previous steps, choose App Language.
Step 5: Finally, choose the language you want.
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Block People You Dont Want To Hear From
Blocking contacts on WhatsApp will stop them from being able to call or send you messages on the app.
On an iPhone: Go to WhatsApp > Settings > Account > Privacy > Blocked, to see whom youve blocked, and hit Add New to block a new contact. You can also click on the individual you want to block, scroll down, and then click on Block Contact near the bottom of the page.
On an Android phone: Go to WhatsApp > Menu > Settings > Account > Privacy > Blocked Contacts to see whom youve blocked. To add a new contact, click on the icon on the top right and select the contact you want to block. You can also click on an individual contact you want to block, select the I icon, and scroll down to click on Block near the bottom of the page. Or you can click on the contacts name and then go to Menu > More > Block contact.
Request A Copy Of Your Account Information
WhatsApp allows you to request a copy of account information and settings that it has access to. It takes about three days to get the report, a security measure WhatsApp has in place in case a phone has been stolen and not yet disabled. If you delete your account or change your phone number, your request will be canceled. The account download feature doesnt contain messages. Be aware that its possible for the police to gain access to this kind of account information with a warrant. If approved by a judge, the police may also place a pen register and a trap and trace device on a WhatsApp account, which will capture ingoing and outgoing telephone numbers used for calls or text messages for that account.
On an iPhone: Go to WhatsApp > Settings > Account > Request Account Info.
On an Android phone: Go to WhatsApp > Menu > Settings > Account > Request Account Info.
Yael Grauer
I am an investigative tech reporter covering digital privacy and security. I’m the lead content creator of CR Security Planner, a free, easy-to-use guide to staying safer online. Prior to Consumer Reports, I covered surveillance, online privacy and security, data brokers, dark patterns, clandestine trackers, security vulnerabilities, VPNs, hacking, and digital freedom for Wired, Vice, The Intercept, Slate, Ars Technica, OneZero, Wirecutter, Business Insider, Popular Science, and other publications. Follow me on
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What Do The Ticks Mean On Whatsapp
Once youve sent a message in WhatsApp you might notice some small ticks appear next to the time stamp in the speech bubble. These tell you when your messages have been delivered and read by other people in the chat.
One grey tick means your message has been successfully sent. Two grey ticks means its been successfully delivered to the recipients phone, and two blue ticks means the other person has read it.
If you swipe left on one of your messages in a group chat, you can see which other participants in the group chat have read your message. That way, you can tell if someone is ignoring you on purpose.
But dont worry if someone hasnt read your message. They might just be busy, or be having network connection issues. They also may have turned off read receipts, in which case you wont be able to see when theyve read your messages.
Safe Business Communications: Whatsapps Data Privacy Record Is Abysmal
WhatsApp has been heavily criticized for its failure to protect its users data privacy in the past. Whats more, the European Court of Justice ruled that US tech companies, specifically Facebook, do not provide an adequate level of protection of personal data for their European users.
If your employees are using WhatsApp for business communication on their personal mobile devices, they are exposing your company to serious data breaches and security risks.
In spite of all the legal, ethical, and personal risks associated with using WhatsApp for workplace communications, employees still do it every day.
According to a recent ,
If not given company-approved cloud tools, frontline workers may risk company and data security and regulatory compliance to use their own. Fifty-three percent of frontline workers use messaging apps such as WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger up to six times a day for work-related reasons, but 68% of them said theyd stop if given approved internal communication tools.
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Do Employees Really Want To Use Whatsapp At Work
WhatsApp became a popular ad-hoc communication tool in the workplace mostly out of necessity, not because employees were excited to chat with their boss.
Some users feel that using WhatsApp for business communication blurs the line between their personal lives and their work lives a little too much.
One person writes,
My WhatsApp its really 91% work-related chats and its bugging me even on weekends its mixed into my personal life and I hate it. I wanna go on WhatsApp and chat with my friends, not deal with work, or be reminded of work.
When employees are asked to use their own personal accounts, on their devices in their own time, they naturally grow resentful towards company communication in general.
The best way to avoid internal communication burnout among your frontline employees is to give them a company-issued app that was built for workplace communication.
With a platform like Beekeeper, frontline employees can easily adjust their notification settings to Do Not Disturb Mode when theyre off the clock. This ensures that your companys internal communication is compliant with labor laws, and it lets your hardworking employees relax and enjoy their free time outside of work. Its a win/win.
What Else Can Whatsapp Do
Many people use WhatsApp primarily for its messaging, but there are a few other functions too.
On the Status tab, you can add a temporary text or photo status to share with your contacts . You’ll also see any statuses your contacts have shared with you.
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These statuses are a lot like Instagram Storiesâthey are only available for 24 hours, and your friends can reply once they view them. See our guide to statuses in WhatsApp to learn more.
If you use WhatsApp for audio calls often, the tab makes it easy to check all your calls and any you’ve missed, similar to your phone’s dialer app.
Of course, Settings is full of useful options. Notably, the Account section contains options to make WhatsApp more private and secure, and Linked Devices lets you use WhatsApp Web to enjoy the service on your desktop or laptop. Keep in mind that WhatsApp doesn’t work without a phone, so your computer must be connected to your mobile device to use WhatsApp Web.
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Lack Of User Management Creates Security Issues
When it comes to secure messaging, WhatsApp ranks at the bottom of the list. The app is constantly getting hacked. Its teeming with scammers, and its vulnerable to malware attacks.
But aside from all that, WhatsApps group messaging shortcomings and lack of scalable user management introduce a host of additional security problems.
WhatsApp groups are limited to only 100 people, so if youre running a large company its impossible to scale your internal communications company-wide.
User management for WhatsApp quickly becomes a massive issue for management and HR. If a person in a chat changes their phone number, and they arent removed from the WhatsApp chats theyre in, the new owner of the old phone number will continue to receive all messages from chats.
See what we mean by a lack of security? Even more, you cant control who has access to group chats (whoever creates them does, so theyre difficult to manage. Plus, if your employees dont want to share their private numbers with colleagues, then they wont be able to join work chat groups on their mobile phones.
Additionally, if an employee leaves the company, theres practically no quick way to remove them from the WhatsApp group, which means theyll still have access to sensitive business information even after theyve terminated employment.
How Does It Work
It works just like text messaging, but with one crucial difference the messages are sent over the internet, rather than over the phone network. This means messages are free to send, even if you attach photos, videos or audio files.
That means that its completely free to use, as long as you use a wi-fi network or have a data allowance as part of your mobile phone contract.
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Whatsapp Google Linkedin Amazon And Apple Are Among The Top 10 Brands Imitated By Cybercriminals
DHL accounted for 23 percent of all phishing attacks globally
- Social media among top three sectors imitated in phishing attempts
- Facebook drops out of top 10 list
- Microsoft previously was the top brand imitated by cybercriminals
DHL was the most imitated brand by cybercriminals for phishing attempts in the fourth quarter of 2021 globally, a new report shows. The global logistics company has replaced Microsoft as the brand that is most likely to be imitated by cybercriminals in phishing scams. WhatsApp, Google, LinkedIn, Amazon, and Apple are also among the top 10 brands, which makes social media among the top three sectors imitated in phishing attempts by cyber scammers, as per the report.
As per the Brand Phishing Report for Q4 2021 by Check Point Research , the Threat Intelligence arm of Check Point Software Technologies, DHL leapfrogged Microsoft to take the top spot as the brand most likely to be imitated by cybercriminals in an attempt to steal individuals’ personal information or payment credentials during October, November, and December. The percentage is up from 9 percent in the third quarter last year. This is followed by Microsoft that was the top imitated brand in the third quarter of 2021.
Stop People From Knowing If Youre Online
Anyone who scrolls through WhatsApp contacts and clicks on your name can see whether youre on the app , and if not, when you were on it most recently. You can stop anyone from viewing this Last Seen status, but if you do that, you wont be able to view other users last-seen status, either.
On an iPhone: Go to WhatsApp > Settings > Account > Privacy > Last Seen. Once there, you can choose to make the information available to Everyone, My Contacts, or Nobody.
On an Android phone: Go to WhatsApp > Menu > Settings > Account > Privacy > Last Seen. Next, choose Everyone, My Contacts, or Nobody.
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Top 10 Advantages And Disadvantages Of Whatsapp
You must already be aware of what WhatsApp is and for those who do not know what WhatsApp is, well, WhatsApp is a messaging platform which works over the internet. You can link your phone number with the WhatsApp and people can find you on WhatsApp using the phone number. This is more like the messaging service in your phone but an internet-based messaging service. The application is compatible with Android, Web and iOS devices.
The fact is that that this application has become really popular becomes of the advantages it offers to the users but do you know that WhatsApp also has some of the disadvantages for the users? Well, this article we are going to talk about the advantages and disadvantages of WhatsApp and let us see what your opinion about it is.
The advantages of WhatsApp are listed below.