4 ms·

The part that creeps me out the most is WhatsApp’s aggressiveness towards getting your Contacts. Other apps want them but WhatsApp hardly works without the perm

by pkamb 6y ago

The part that creeps me out the most is WhatsApp’s aggressiveness towards getting your Contacts. Other apps want them but WhatsApp hardly works without the permission. Why hasn’t Apple introduced a private/segmented Contacts permission like they have Photos, Location, etc.?

twsted 6y ago
My question, too.
eps 6y ago
This has been a very long time due. An ability to give untrustworthy software an access to a sandboxed blank copy of Contacts would've been very useful. As a side note, Telegram is the same as WhatsApp. You can't start a chat on a fresh install unless you give it an access to the contacts. There's no way to manually add in-app contacts. Given how "pro-privacy" they are supposed to be, this was rather disconcerting to see.
- patall 6y ago
  But you can start at new chat in WhatsApp via https://api.whatsapp.com/send?phone=XXXXXXX https://api.whatsapp.com/send?phone=XXXXXXX Does not work for me in Firefox, but in Chrome on Android, I can start a new chat without access to the contacts. I agree that it is weird though!
  - julenx 6y ago
    Easier to remember: https://wa.me/<number> https://wa.me/<number> Where `<number>` contains the international prefix without the `+` sign. Has worked for me in Firefox and everywhere else I've tried. This is a fb-owned domain btw.
- pvtmert 6y ago
  You can, just deny the request and add contacts in Telegram. At least in android, I denied contact list and manually adding relevant ones to telegram.
  - huhtenberg 6y ago
    That's not possible in the iOS version. Tapping on + pops up a request to grant Contacts access.
    - samoa42 6y ago
      one can add new contacts to telegram via the desktop app
- kome 6y ago
  "There's no way to manually add in-app contacts." False, I do it ALL the time.
  - eps 6y ago
    Here's a screencap - https://vimeo.com/497911640 https://vimeo.com/497911640 First prompt is when tapping the plus sign at the top.
grandchild 6y ago
FWIW: I've been using whatsapp without access to my contacts with the help of this little app: "Open in Whatsapp" https://github.com/subhamtyagi/openinwa https://github.com/subhamtyagi/openinwa You can enter a number in that app and it will launch a conversation with them in whatsapp. I think it makes use of the API mentioned in sibling comments.
timvisee 6y ago
In fact they grab your whole contact list, and according to the updated policy, they share it with the other Facebook Companies. So even if you refuse to use the app, it's still very likely that your contact information will end up on their servers because you're friends are probably using the app.

by pkamb 6y ago

twsted 6y ago

My question, too.

eps 6y ago

This has been a very long time due. An ability to give untrustworthy software an access to a sandboxed blank copy of Contacts would've been very useful. As a side note, Telegram is the same as WhatsApp. You can't start a chat on a fresh install unless you give it an access to the contacts. There's no way to manually add in-app contacts. Given how "pro-privacy" they are supposed to be, this was rather disconcerting to see.

patall 6y ago
But you can start at new chat in WhatsApp via https://api.whatsapp.com/send?phone=XXXXXXX https://api.whatsapp.com/send?phone=XXXXXXX Does not work for me in Firefox, but in Chrome on Android, I can start a new chat without access to the contacts. I agree that it is weird though!
- julenx 6y ago
  Easier to remember: https://wa.me/<number> https://wa.me/<number> Where `<number>` contains the international prefix without the `+` sign. Has worked for me in Firefox and everywhere else I've tried. This is a fb-owned domain btw.
pvtmert 6y ago
You can, just deny the request and add contacts in Telegram. At least in android, I denied contact list and manually adding relevant ones to telegram.
- huhtenberg 6y ago
  That's not possible in the iOS version. Tapping on + pops up a request to grant Contacts access.
  - samoa42 6y ago
    one can add new contacts to telegram via the desktop app
kome 6y ago
"There's no way to manually add in-app contacts." False, I do it ALL the time.
- eps 6y ago
  Here's a screencap - https://vimeo.com/497911640 https://vimeo.com/497911640 First prompt is when tapping the plus sign at the top.

grandchild 6y ago

FWIW: I've been using whatsapp without access to my contacts with the help of this little app: "Open in Whatsapp" https://github.com/subhamtyagi/openinwa https://github.com/subhamtyagi/openinwa You can enter a number in that app and it will launch a conversation with them in whatsapp. I think it makes use of the API mentioned in sibling comments.

timvisee 6y ago

In fact they grab your whole contact list, and according to the updated policy, they share it with the other Facebook Companies. So even if you refuse to use the app, it's still very likely that your contact information will end up on their servers because you're friends are probably using the app.