4 ms·

The reason I don’t use WhatsApp is simply because it requires full, unfettered access to your entire contacts to work properly. When I explain to people that g

The reason I don’t use WhatsApp is simply because it requires full, unfettered access to your entire contacts to work properly. When I explain to people that giving Facebook access to the contact details of my bank, psychotherapist, doctor, all work colleagues etc., they tend to understand

JumpCrisscross 8y ago
> it requires full, unfettered access to your entire contacts to work properly I don’t give it these permissions. It requires punching in phone numbers, but that adds the right amount of friction to bounce communications to iMessage or a call.
- crtasm 8y ago
  Is there any way to get (nick)names to show up instead of just phone numbers? I tried revoking the contacts permission then realised how it could be quite difficult to find a chat in a long list.
- AdamSteel 8y ago
  Unfortunately on Android you have no choice.
  - macintux 8y ago
    That was long a differentiating factor between iOS and Android: Android's permissions were granted at install, iOS asked for each one individually, allowing much greater control. But, I thought that was changing. Is Android not moving to the more granular model?
    - tialaramex 8y ago
      Yes, Android apps which want shiny modern features have to prompt on usage, but if an app says it is for old Android that couldn't do this it doesn't have to implement that behaviour (of course then it can't have new features since those didn't exist). Google set a deadline for when no new "old" apps are allowed but I didn't pay attention to when that is. I routinely tell (Android) apps that try to do too much that no they can't have access, but mostly I just uninstall them and use something better.
    - AdamSteel 8y ago
      Android did, but Whatsapp simply refuses to work if you deny contacts.
  - the_duke 8y ago
    This changed recently. I installed WA on a new phone last week and it asked for the "Access Contacts" permission. I denied and the app worked just fine, without showing my contacts. In general, the trend to optional permissions asked on first use is introduced in more and more apps and it's refreshing.

JumpCrisscross 8y ago

> it requires full, unfettered access to your entire contacts to work properly I don’t give it these permissions. It requires punching in phone numbers, but that adds the right amount of friction to bounce communications to iMessage or a call.

crtasm 8y ago
Is there any way to get (nick)names to show up instead of just phone numbers? I tried revoking the contacts permission then realised how it could be quite difficult to find a chat in a long list.
AdamSteel 8y ago
Unfortunately on Android you have no choice.
- macintux 8y ago
  That was long a differentiating factor between iOS and Android: Android's permissions were granted at install, iOS asked for each one individually, allowing much greater control. But, I thought that was changing. Is Android not moving to the more granular model?
  - tialaramex 8y ago
    Yes, Android apps which want shiny modern features have to prompt on usage, but if an app says it is for old Android that couldn't do this it doesn't have to implement that behaviour (of course then it can't have new features since those didn't exist). Google set a deadline for when no new "old" apps are allowed but I didn't pay attention to when that is. I routinely tell (Android) apps that try to do too much that no they can't have access, but mostly I just uninstall them and use something better.
  - AdamSteel 8y ago
    Android did, but Whatsapp simply refuses to work if you deny contacts.
- the_duke 8y ago
  This changed recently. I installed WA on a new phone last week and it asked for the "Access Contacts" permission. I denied and the app worked just fine, without showing my contacts. In general, the trend to optional permissions asked on first use is introduced in more and more apps and it's refreshing.