APP Needs update

[Splitpeach]

In my journey to gain more privacy I found Whatsapp Web To Go on F-Droid and I was excited to see if it could allow me to continue using Whatsapp without actually having Whatsapp on my phone.

However, it appears the app hasn't been updated in some years and many features are just not functioning. I don't know if it was ever able to deliver notifications but they don't arrive now, cannot upload media (images, videos, voice etc), typing is compromised and jittery, the display is too big for the screen and it doesn't look like it can handle calls or video calls.

Would be great if it could receive an update!

But I'm curious to know, would using WWTG prevent all of the tracking that occurs when Whatsapp is actually installed on the device? In short, are there any privacy advantages of using WWTG over the official Whatsapp app?

[robin-paulson]

I don't know if it was ever able to deliver notifications but they don't arrive now, cannot upload media (images, videos, voice etc), typing is compromised and jittery, the display is too big for the screen and it doesn't look like it can handle calls or video calls.

Yeah, it's done that for some years

[Splitpeach]

ok. so fair to say that WAW2G is now dead.

[robin-paulson]

ok. so fair to say that WAW2G is now dead.

This isn't helpful and it's passive aggressive. You could offer to help, rather than insulting

[Splitpeach]

not insulting or passive aggressive. it hasnt been updated in three years and the app isn't functioning. its dead.

[rugk]

Dead is a strongly emotionally connected word, but it seems unmaintained indeed.

Whta the maintainer could do is archive this repository, to mark it as unmaintained. People then cannot submit PRs and there is a big warning that this is archived.
One should remember to add a note to the Readme before to explain that it is unmaintained, and – if you think this is useful – why and probably mention alternatives.

[est61]

I was also wondering the same. This app has been the best way of using whatsapp without intrusion, and it still works on Android 10, however a bit glitchy, it still does the job of sending messages and to new numbers too.
Perhaps @92lleo can comment and see if he can update this app and keep it alive for new versions of Android?
He hasnt been active on github in total for more than a year just FYI, lets hope he is ok!

[92lleo]

Hi @est61
I'm ok🙂
Just not having the time to look into the topics currently. It's on my to-do, but I can't say when or if there will be an update

[HawkEy33]

Glad to hear you're ok.
Just to let you know since today meta forces at least Google chrome 85+ to use web WhatsApp, so the app is no longer working at all but shows a message to update chrome.
Maybe only updating the chrome library can be a quick fix to at least restore core functionality? In any way, I appreciate your work, thanks.

[robin-paulson]

since today meta forces at least Google chrome 85+ to use web WhatsApp, so the app is no longer working at all but shows a message to update chrome. Maybe only updating the chrome library can be a quick fix to at least restore core functionality? In any way, I appreciate work, thanks.

I had a look in the developer settings on my device, the WebView implementation is v114 of Chrome.

Is this as simple as a string which reports the user agent?

[robin-paulson]

Is this as simple as a string which reports the user agent?

It appears so, although I might have made a mistake. It's currently reported as "Chrome/75.0.3770.100" here:
https://github.com/92lleo/WhatsappWebToGo/blob/master/app/src/main/java/io/kuenzler/whatsappwebtogo/WebviewActivity.java#L65

@92lleo Are you accepting PRs to fix this? I'm not sure what to update it to, but I'm confident someone here could suggest an appropriate version string.

[robin-paulson]

#118

Talks about UA strings

[nogerman]

in the fork of @Japie3krekel, the UA string was changed and I build the APK to test it - works fine d608c4f
It does not fix the other issue of Media/FIle Attachment, etc. but Login is possible again.

[est61]

@nogerman it seems this pull request still needs to be approved by the lead dev?
@92lleo can you check and approve this so this app can get an update? because its currently unusable now..

[92lleo]

Just posted a question, as soon as that's solved I'll merge and release the PR and a new version will be pushed to fdroid