Hi everyone,
First of all, I know WhatsApp doesn’t belong to Google so I’m technically in the wrong community.
Still I think getting rid of Facebook is part of the same movement.
I’ve been using Threema (and Signal/SMS a little bit) for years with all my close contacts, but I can’t fully get rid of WhatsApp as I’m part of some groups where I can’t convince/force everyone to move to Threema.
Because I was still on WhatsApp, a lot of people outside of the necessary groups thought it was okay to contact me on WhatsApp.
I had looked into ways of blocking everyone except these essential groups, but I couldn’t find anything on the web.
Now I think I’ve found the solution to prevent people outside of these necessary WhatsApp groups to write to me on WhatsApp. I had never heard of it before yesterday, but you can download a WhatsApp Business app which lets you send automated answers when people are writing to you.
So I basically just created an automated answer telling people that I’m using Threema/Signal/Sms and that I won’t answer on WhatsApp. Now I don’t have to write long messages telling people to please write to me on another app (and then these people keep writing on WhatsApp of course). So now it’s make the effort or leave me alone 😅
I still plan in ditching WhatsApp for good at one point, but it seems like a good temporary solution and, since I hadn’t found anyone suggesting this idea, I thought I would share it here to help people who have the same problem.
Good on you, man. The network effect is always the most insidious to beat when you want to make the step away from a big platform, and you found a way to hopefully steer the casual contacts onto other, safer platforms. I’m happy for you.
Yeah I guess « network effect » really sums it up perfectly.
It’s difficult to make people understand that it’s your right to try to get away from all these big platforms without ending just being the old grumpy guy.
Oh, I totally embraced being that grumpy weirdo who insists that what people see as some sort of benevolent, public utility… isn’t. Friends and family still ask why I have to be so critical of corporate social media; I’ll never understand why they aren’t 🤷
Oh I’m already that grumpy weirdo who’s buying Threema for everyone, but I feel like there is a limit to what I can do until I start offending people or losing important information which is more important than what I’m losing by giving some of my data to Meta.
When I suggest people leave Discord/Reddit/WhatsApp/Facebook/IG/Windows, etc. I’m absolutely lambasted and taunted in a vulgar manner for suggesting such a thing. It’s extremely depressing.
Do you suggest it in a nice and reasonable way to people that you think would appreciate your suggestion or are you the stereotypical vegan equivalent of FOSS communities?
Not the solution you looking for as I feel, but I leave it here for others to discover: With a home server and proper technical knowledge you can use WhatsApp via Matrix: https://matrix.org/ecosystem/bridges/whatsapp/
This is something I discovered way before, when I was trying to ditch Facebook Messenger. I felt like there’s absolutely no chance to convince everyone around me to use Signal, so even not having the app on the phone looked like an OK option.
What’s the point of that?
Not sure if you haven’t read my comment, or just didn’t get the jist of it: the point is that you can use the service without installing their crappy app.
And again I ask, what’s the point of that? They’re still getting all of your data.
My understanding of Whatsapp’s data collection is that since the messages are encrypted, Meta “only” profiles you using metadata. If you use a matrix bridge to communicate, they would lose out on data like how you interact with their app and when you open it as well as location data but would still get to know when and who you send messages to.
they would lose out on data like how you interact with their app and when you open it as well as location data
Or you could just…not give them location data?
Just check what privileges these apps ask for when you’re installing them. They could get infinitely more data then “just” the ones tied to the conversations.
So once again my point is that, if their app is not touching my phone, that’s one bullet dodged.
You can deny all of the permissions…
Not sure why you are being downvoted. Their main problem was the data that was given when you give them permissions. So why the hell is not giving them permissions not a reasonable solution?
I heard you still need to log into WhatsApp every few days for the bridge to keep working though. How long were you using the bridge for (or if you’re still using it, how long have you been using it for) without having WhatsApp installed at all?
I haven’t had to reauthorize WhatsApp in months.
That’s really reassuring. I may go down that route then. Thanks!
I had a look into this in the past, but it wasn’t for me as I don’t have a home server.
I think you could also pay some service to host a server for you, but I’m saving my geeky money for other projects.
Beeper is a free app that is built on the same matrix bridges, and it takes care of hosting for you. Downside is that this requires you to trust beeper
@Dariusmiles2123 Good luck with groups that are work or school related. Without WA you are just out. Nobody will send you the info another way.
Yeah that’s the problem.
I’m a separated dad and I know that without WhatsApp no teacher would send me pictures of them when they go to a camp.
With work I’m lucky because my employer is providing Threema for everyone.
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That’s a great suggestion! Thank you for posting this
You’re welcome!
The best solution would be interoperability between Threema/Signal and WhatsApp, but I can obviously understand why they wouldn’t want to do this.
Still, if it was optional, I guess Threema and Signal should go for it.
There is watomatic which does exactly this. You can select messenger/WhatsApp and when one reply or messages you. It auto responds with whatever text you want.
It’s only on Android so I can’t use it with my only phone, which is my work iPhone, but it’s an interesting project.
It’s even better than my solution as it doesn’t require to download WhatsApp business.
I wondered why you wanted to get rid of it slowly instead of quickly, and it sounds like you got rid of it quickly. Good work. No idea why Threema instead of ordinary email, but whatever.
No idea why Threema instead of ordinary email
You don’t know the difference between instant messengers and email?
Because email is annoying for chatting. I very much prefer using slack or teams at work compared to email which I only use for more formal stuff. It would feel very weird to use email with friends.
Using Graphene OS, I was able to have more control of Whatsapps permissions including storage scope options. So you can expose just certain contact numbers and file folders to the app. This does not make your conversations save tho, since even encrypted data is saved for the future when the prozessing power to break the encryption will eventually be available.
but I can’t fully get rid of WhatsApp as I’m part of some groups where I can’t convince/force everyone to move to Threema.
I just left them anyway. Not doing it.
Now I think I’ve found the solution to prevent people outside of these necessary WhatsApp groups to write to me on WhatsApp.
Stop using it and then they can’t message you anymore.
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