Whatsapp - how does it work ?

[gentlegreen]

Does it automagically take over from SMS if it's available ?
Only I was texting my brother this morning about a power problem so my router was up and down and I saw that what I thought were texts didn't get sent and I was given the option to actually send them by SMS ...
Unusually for me I actually have a few contacts on my phone and whatsapp had flagged that my brother uses the app ... and I had actually opened whatsapp earlier as a potential way to avoid PAYG charges ...
Odd that he does - he refuses to use Facebook ...

All very confusing.

It doesn't help that my phone has a wonky touch screen so it clicks on things uninvited ...

 

[Boudicca]

For me the advantage of Whatsapp is the ability to access it on the laptop as well as my phone.

 

[gentlegreen]

For me the advantage of Whatsapp is the ability to access it on the laptop as well as my phone.

I can ?
Oh yes I seem to have it on my PC too... and I have linked the two ...

I think what always put me off whatsapp is that it involved phone contacts and numbers ... I suppose META / FB own me now ?

 

[danny la rouge]

... I suppose META / FB own me now ?

Oh god, did you not read the small print?

 

[danny la rouge]

Does it automagically take over from SMS if it's available ?
Only I was texting my brother this morning about a power problem so my router was up and down and I saw that what I thought were texts didn't get sent and I was given the option to actually send them by SMS ...
Unusually for me I actually have a few contacts on my phone and whatsapp had flagged that my brother uses the app ... and I had actually opened whatsapp earlier as a potential way to avoid PAYG charges ...
Odd that he does - he refuses to use Facebook ...

All very confusing.

It doesn't help that my phone has a wonky touch screen so it clicks on things uninvited ...

It doesn’t replace SMS, it works alongside it as a separate option.

In the world of competing operating systems, people on an iPhone, say, cannot set up an SMS chat with several others who are on android. (Although you can text them individually).

But a group can set up on WhatsApp across different operating systems and even devices. (Phones, laptops, desktops).

 

[gentlegreen]

As an experiment I just sent my brother some messages via my PC to see if he gets them - very confusing.
I am very much not a phone person ...

 

[souljacker]

Does it automagically take over from SMS if it's available ?
Only I was texting my brother this morning about a power problem so my router was up and down and I saw that what I thought were texts didn't get sent and I was given the option to actually send them by SMS ...
Unusually for me I actually have a few contacts on my phone and whatsapp had flagged that my brother uses the app ... and I had actually opened whatsapp earlier as a potential way to avoid PAYG charges ...
Odd that he does - he refuses to use Facebook ...

All very confusing.

It doesn't help that my phone has a wonky touch screen so it clicks on things uninvited ...

Both iPhone and Androids stock messaging app will try and send texts over the internet primarily. If it fails for some reason it will ask if you want to send via standard telephone SMS. Whatsapp isn't part of that ecosystem. If you want to whatsapp someone, you have to do it via the app.

 

[gentlegreen]

Both iPhone and Androids stock messaging app will try and send texts over the internet primarily.

Now I'm even more confussed ...

Is there an agreement between ISPs ?

 

[farmerbarleymow]

I looked at the app a while back but was suspicious of all the privileges it required. Don't trust FB at all.

 

[souljacker]

Now I'm even more confussed ...

Is there an agreement between ISPs ?

Why would there need to be?

 

[platinumsage]

How iMessage sends and receives messages securely

iMessage sends and receives messages securely in Apple devices.

support.apple.com

 

[gentlegreen]

Why would there need to be?

Or an IP to SMS bridge ?

 

[danny la rouge]

Or an IP to SMS bridge ?

I think you just need to concentrate on the fact that WhatsApp is a separate system. It’s an alternative way to send messages.

 

[souljacker]

Or an IP to SMS bridge ?

It doesn't try SMS first. I tries to send it via the internet. That link from platinumsage suggests imessage (apples version of this tech) sends the message via the icloud.

Only if the above fails does it try SMS, which is performed across the mobile network as usual.

 

[danny la rouge]

It doesn't try SMS first. I tries to send it via the internet. That link from platinumsage suggests imessage (apples version of this tech) sends the message via the icloud.

Only if the above fails does it try SMS, which is performed across the mobile network as usual.

Yes, iMessage is an Apple thing. It looks like normal text messaging but isn’t. You can tell the difference if you send a message to someone who isn’t on an iPhone.

 

[xenon]

The iMessage thing is always a bit weird when it tells you "friend is typing."

Makes me feel like you better hurry up and reply. Or why are they taking so long to reply, have they gone off to cook dinner, sleep, can't be arsed...

 

[danny la rouge]

The iMessage thing is always a bit weird when it tells you "friend is typing."

Makes me feel like you better hurry up and reply. Or why are they taking so long to reply, have they gone off to cook dinner, sleep, can't be arsed...

 

[iona]

View attachment 350333

Iirc xenon uses a screenreader so they won't be able to see that. RubyToogood did a good thread about how to add a text description to images a while ago. (Not trying to nag or preach, it's something I'm trying to get better at not forgetting to do myself )

 

[Boudicca]

I am very much not a phone person ...

Me neither. I'm usually not far from my laptop and it is so much quicker to type a message on a keyboard.

Some of my friends prefer Whatsapp and some use Facebook Messenger, I tend to just go with the flow.

One friend flips between SMS and Whatsapp seemingly at random, which is very annoying when you are trying to see what has been said previously.

 

[danny la rouge]

Iirc xenon uses a screenreader so they won't be able to see that. RubyToogood did a good thread about how to add a text description to images a while ago. (Not trying to nag or preach, it's something I'm trying to get better at not forgetting to do myself )

No, you’re quite right, and I do try to remember, but failed this time. Sorry xenon - it’s a gif of the Apple “someone’s typing” icon.

 

[Leafster]

Me neither. I'm usually not far from my laptop and it is so much quicker to type a message on a keyboard.

Some of my friends prefer Whatsapp and some use Facebook Messenger, I tend to just go with the flow.

One friend flips between SMS and Whatsapp seemingly at random, which is very annoying when you are trying to see what has been said previously.

Yeah, I have friends and clients who switch between services like that. You'll be having a conversation which I can deal with via the PC and then all of a sudden they'll send a text message!

And then they'll throw in an email just to make life even more complicated.

I also have a friend who only uses Instagram.

There are TOO MANY of them.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

I am very much not a phone person ...

I just had to make a phone call - first time in ages so I think I need a lie down now.

 

[stdP]

Both iPhone and Androids stock messaging app will try and send texts over the internet primarily. If it fails for some reason it will ask if you want to send via standard telephone SMS. Whatsapp isn't part of that ecosystem. If you want to whatsapp someone, you have to do it via the app.

Are you sure about this? I set up my partner's phone using stock android with all the googly bits taken out, and the stock SMS app only talks over SMS (I know this because orange buggered up the SMS message centre on a new SIM and it flat out didn't work with or without a data connection). If there is a default "route SMS via internet first" (presumably to either google or telephony routing centres?) then I'd imagine it's additional functionality not in the AOSP SMS app.

<goes off to search for SMS weirdness in google SMS>

As an experiment I just sent my brother some messages via my PC to see if he gets them - very confusing.
I am very much not a phone person ...

I'm also very much not a phone person but just to throw in my two penn'orth; WhatsApp is a proprietary application using a proprietary protocol that only works within the WhatsApp applications and I don't believe there's any technical way for it to fall back to/"take over" using SMS - they're two wholly separate protocols. It was bought out by facebook many moons ago and helpfully uploads your contact list to the mothership, although GDPR legally prevents the data being shared between WhatsApp and facebook.

Edit: seems my info is somewhat out of date - WhatsApp moved to using the Signal protocol some years back, although WhatsApp's version of it and the cilent itself is still proprietary. IIRC there was such a thing as third-party WA clients back in the day but I think using one brought about an insta-ban as soon as you were found out.

 

[souljacker]

Are you sure about this? I set up my partner's phone using stock android with all the googly bits taken out, and the stock SMS app only talks over SMS (I know this because orange buggered up the SMS message centre on a new SIM and it flat out didn't work with or without a data connection). If there is a default "route SMS via internet first" (presumably to either google or telephony routing centres?) then I'd imagine it's additional functionality not in the AOSP SMS app.

<goes off to search for SMS weirdness in google SMS>

Maybe taking all the googly bits out is why you are missing it? I suspect it needs a google account on the phone to be able to do it. I've not installed any extra messaging apps, just using the one that has always come with Android. It's a reasonably recent feature so maybe only arrived on v12 or 13.

 

[stdP]

Well, it's not my phone, but I wouldn't say I'd "miss" such functionality. But I'm one of those weirdos who thinks google is just as bad as facebook.

 

[souljacker]

Well, it's not my phone, but I wouldn't say I'd "miss" such functionality. But I'm one of those weirdos who thinks google is just as bad as facebook.

You can switch it off, which I did immediately. It's not that useful and it seems to get stuck a lot and then not even try doing SMS. Mine just does plain old texting now.

 

[stdP]

Thanks - sounds like this is an implementation of RCS, although difficult to tell at the minute if this is a google thing, a carrier thing, or both. But it's not supported by the AOSP SMS app.

 

[gentlegreen]

My text icon has changed now

 

[MBV]

That's the new icon for the native Android sms app. Nothing to do with WhatsApp.

 

[klang]

slightly related question - how can I send a voice message via sms on telegram? or does it have to go via messenger? also - once received, can it be encrypted, or will it need rendering?