I really need to get in contact with some people on WA and have some groups to join and have been waiting for interoperability to get going so I don’t have to use zuck’s app . But the said date march has long passed and I can’t find shit on it or why it didn’t happen anywhere . I have yesterday downloaded the apk from WA’s official site and is in half a heart to install it . I know everything I say there should be considered public but besides that and the app knowing my IP and contacts is there any hidden data collection I should be aware of ? Or should I wait some more which I don’t think I can as am loosing patience lol . Also will it even be global or support apps that are really privacy focused unlike the usual suspects like TG or signal ?
Edit : Seems like I have to suck up to Meta as our lizard lord intended . As WhatsApp is ad free (to my knowledge) it is all but confirmed they are selling data . In my opinion Meta is more evil than google as google is at least taking some hits and hosting things on lose that we can access without making them a dime (newpipe -youtube, google search engine - unlock with firefox) and they fund Firefox and maintain AOSP, meanwhile all meta do is making their service a thing which we can’t leave and steal fuckin everything they do absolutely no good whatsoever and have no redeeming qualities and people or laws don’t give them enough shit for it . People may say “if you don’t like meta just don’t use it” well guess what we can’t stop it as almost everything needs their platforms nowadays . Sorry that turned into a rant figured .
Use matrix and bridges. Tchncs.de has a whatsapp bridge for free I think. Please consider donating because running this stuff is expensive. There are others as well but tchncs is the only one I know. I run bridges for myself and friends but they also chip in.
Hey I’m sorry to ask but can you hand hold me through the process cause their brief discriprition went over my head lol . So I download WhatsApp and make an acc and download matrix and make an acc and then link it ? Can I then use matrix as a kind of WhatsApp client ? Can I talk to random users or join WhatsApp groups like I can in the official app ? I’m so confused lol . Also can I just delete the WhatsApp app after connecting and not worry about it ever ?
can you hand hold me through the process
I can try but I cant promise anything
So I download WhatsApp and make an acc and download matrix and make an acc and then link it ?
You dont download matrix. You download a client for the matrix protocol. The client is your choice but will make a huge impact on your experience. I use fluffychat but I also have element as backup.
You make an account on a matrix instance. tchncs.de is the best public one I can suggest.
You then join their rooms and start asking people for help, politely. I havent used their process but i use the exact same bridges and they work.
Can I then use matrix as a kind of WhatsApp client ?
Whatsapp, signal, telegram and matrix in one app, yes
Can I talk to random users or join WhatsApp groups like I can in the official app ?
I dont know if you need to use a whatsapp client to join a group but you can def talk to anyone and in any group from my experience. this is open source stuff which you need to be aware of. if you’re not the product and you dont pay them, then you should help any way you can and be very patient.
Also can I just delete the WhatsApp app after connecting and not worry about it ever ?
You cant “not worry about it ever” on anything, ever. Either you pay someone to make your experience perfect (the mechanic that repairs your bike or your car) or you help yourself and ask for help politely.
Whatsapp can lose the connection (happened to me once in like 3 months) and you will need a whatsapp client to reconnect and then you can forget it again.
Also, its not a billion dollar company doing this so it needs testing and you’re the tester so consider submitting your experiences in the form of (rational) bug reports or similar.
**TL;DR: FOSS software will never be “perfect”. It is a community effort to improve it. You always pay in this world: Money, Privacy or Work. If you dont, someone else must.
Uh why do you answer like I asked FOSS to be perfect ? I just had some dpubts about the functions but as far as I can see was never judgmental of Foss . Anyway seems like its not for me and tnx for the answer .
What’s the point of this? You still have a Meta account, they still have your phone #, and they still collect all the metadata from said account.
Many reasons:
- you can disable background updates, wifi and mobile data, location, etc. which renders the app useless. They cant collect directly from the phone that way.
- I have one app for all my messaging needs. No need to switch
- i will always ask for matrix communication first which takes meta out of the loop
- i have friends who arent tech savvy or ready to switch so I am not forced to use whatsapp
- its a fun exercise and I provide feedback for the makers of the bridges which helps development
you can disable background updates, wifi and mobile data, location, etc. which renders the app useless. They cant collect directly from the phone that way.
…why not just uninstall the app altogether at that point?
Most privacy concerns don’t stem from any of that anyway, it stems from the metadata in your messages. Who you’re talking to, when, how often, etc.
I have one app for all my messaging needs.
I mean I guess that’s true if you only use 2 messaging platforms?
i will always ask for matrix communication first which takes meta out of the loop
You can do that without bridges.
i have friends who arent tech savvy or ready to switch so I am not forced to use whatsapp
…but you are using WhatsApp. It’s not just an app, it’s a service.
its a fun exercise
If this is what you find fun, more power to you. Just don’t be under the illusion that this increases privacy even a little.
