SAN FRANCISCO – Facebook’s mobile messaging service, WhatsApp, is currently testing a new feature that allows users to send messages without using a cell phone.
Currently, the WhatsApp application relies on the user’s cellphone, so if the user wants to use the Whatsapp Web feature on a computer, the cellphone must be connected to the computer to send and receive messages.
But a new feature will allow users to send and receive messages even if the phone’s battery dies. “This feature can be used by four other devices, such as PCs and tablets, simultaneously,” said WhatsApp.
As a first step, this new feature will be rolled out in a beta test format for a small group of users to use. The WhatsApp team plans to improve performance and add a number of elements before enabling this feature for everyone.
“Encryption end-to-end which is the main selling point for WhatsApp, will still work under this new system,” they said.
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Previously several other messaging apps already had such a feature, including rival encrypted app Signal. This app requires a phone to register, but not to exchange messages.
The trial of WhatsApp’s new feature has long been requested by users who are reported to have reached two billion users.
In an upload blog who announced the plan last Wednesday (14/7), Facebook engineers said that the change required a rethink of WhatsApp’s software design.
“That’s because the current version still uses the smartphone app as the primary device, making the phone the source of truth for all user data and the only device capable of encrypting messages. end-to-end for another user (or) initiate a call,” the company said.
Overcome Weaknesses
WhatsApp Web and applications non-smartphone others are basically “mirrors” of what’s happening on the phone. But the system has a significant drawback that users are familiar with, namely that web applications often crash.
Another downside of WhatsApp is that it only allows one active companion device at a time. As a result, opening WhatsApp on another device will disconnect WhatsApp Web.
“WhatsApp’s new multi-device architecture removes this hurdle, so there’s no need for smartphone to be a source of truth, it does so while keeping user data properly and securely synced,” the company said.
On a technical level, the solution gives each device its own “identity key”, and WhatsApp keeps a record of which keys belong to the same user account. That means there’s no need to store messages on its own servers, which can lead to privacy issues.
But Jake Moore, a security specialist at antivirus firm Eset, says that no matter how strong the security is, having messages on more devices is still a cause for concern. “There will always be bad actors looking for solutions,” said Moore. AFP/I-1
(AFP/I-1)
Editor : Ilham Sudrajat
Author : AFP
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