Upcoming iOS 13 VoIP Change That Restricts Background Access to Impact Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp

[cfurlin]

I came here to read comments of people complaining about Tim Cook ..... I’ll come back later

Will that be before or after the ”If Steve were alive...” words of wisdom.

 

[KillerScoregasm]

Maybe now when I’m talking about something to someone browsing their Facebook they won’t be like “hey, that’s crazy there’s an ad for what we were just talking about!!”.

 

[JackieTreehorn]

I wonder if it will affect Google Voice.

Great signature in your profile

 

[B4U]

Yes!!
Now we can finally give Mark the middle finger.

 

[I7guy]

Did Apple catch these apps doing something, or are they just closing a loophole in the code? Either way it seems like a welcome update.

 

[lunarworks]

It’s about flipping time! Remember when Apple first “baked in” the Facebook login into the iOS?

The reality of Facebook wasn't really widely known back then.

 

[gnomeisland]

I mean, it’d suck for like 2 minutes or so but I’m 99% certain like would go on.

Best typo.

 

[iConcept]

Just waiting for the Apple sign in and I can ditch FB forever. WhatsApp is still a tough one to get rid of as it's often the only free and easy way to send pics to people on Android, so it's reassuring to know it'll be harder for them to listen in.

 

[iBluetooth]

If I turn off the options of voicecall - will this background process go away and leave my battery going? I remember when Facebook was caught playing silent music in the bacground so that they could always stay running ( and track users location). But then Apple almost kicked them out of the app store for abusing that. This, time they just should be kicked out for continuously abusing apis.

 

[Gasu E.]

I am quite okay with losing WhatsApp and Facebook functionality. Just knowing that Apple is constantly and consistently working to keep our data private makes it worthwhile.

WhatsApp is essential to anyone who has friends or family overseas, especially if one party is in a developing country. I would imagine that losing WhatsApp would force 100Ks of users to switch to Android. I don't use Facebook Messenger very much, but some people occasionally use it to contact me, and it would certainly be a disruption and inconvenience to them.

 

[now i see it]

an easier solution is to delete anything remotely associated with FB

 

[ThirteenXIII]

I wonder if it will affect Google Voice.

with dual-sim phones, is this needed anymore? (im asking aside the free # and forwarding)

WhatsApp is essential to anyone who has friends or family overseas, especially if one party is in a developing country. I would imagine that losing WhatsApp would force 100Ks of users to switch to Android. I don't use Facebook Messenger very much, but some people occasionally use it to contact me, and it would certainly be a disruption and inconvenience to them.

why would they use an iPhone any way then if this would be an inhibitor? couldn't they just create an appleid and use that for FaceTime and messages? use a company appleid for messages no phone # or issues reaching people overseas.

I also think, if apple were to limit FB and WhatsApp on the App Store you might get some people flocking away, but id wager more people would jump FB ship and something else will be coming out.

 

[andy845]

WhatsApp is essential to anyone who has friends or family overseas, especially if one party is in a developing country. I would imagine that losing WhatsApp would force 100Ks of users to switch to Android. I don't use Facebook Messenger very much, but some people occasionally use it to contact me, and it would certainly be a disruption and inconvenience to them.

Can’t recommend signal enough as a replacement for WhatsApp. If you can convince people to swap, you’ll never go back.

 

[Bokito]

I disabled background app refresh, is that not the same thing?

No, it isn’t. Background app refresh allows for specific background refreshes within the app, so if you open your App your app is always current. This is a different API than the one described here. The API described here listens to incoming calls. Since Apple allowed developers the option to customise the incoming call and add some actions, the app can do more on the background than just accepting calls. With iOS 13 the only thing this service can do is accepting calls.

 

[gotluck]

excellent, I would like to keep whatsapp installed but apple please block all the shenanigans you can

 

[MacUser09425]

Sure it was a mistake, but at least their in a concerted direction toward user privacy now.

Yes this may create compromised experiences for some existing users. Yes Apple may lose users that switch to Android. I’m certain these are all calculated risks for the sake of making the “Apple Brand” all about privacy... for now at least.

Agree. With iPhone sales on the wane and Apple pivoting to 'services' we'll see if they can keep their paws off the forbidden fruit. Oh, that juicy data.....

 

[b0fh]

I disabled background app refresh, is that not the same thing?

No. You can make calls even when the app isn't in running in the foreground.

 

[jonblatho]

If there was a way for Facebook and WhatsApp to download from a browser directly to the iPhone (or an alternative App Store), this change would not affect them.

That's...not how APIs work.

They've removed APIs that Facebook was using (read: abusing) in PushKit in iOS 13. Their choices from there are to either continue linking against the iOS 12 SDK for as long as they're allowed to, which means they would never get to use the new features in iOS 13, or to use private API — if it exists and if they can discover it — to recreate the previous functionality, which would then require them to distribute outside the App Store. It's no longer provided by PushKit, so it's then up to Facebook to provide that functionality for themselves.

In other words, yes, this change would affect them even if they distributed outside the App Store.

 

[alexandr]

Yes!!
Now we can finally give Mark the middle finger.

you could've done it years ago by deleting the app altogether.

 

[dave559]

Does anyone know if this change would affect the functionality of Signal messenger (which is vastly more privacy-focused than anything from Facebook in the first place) at all? I hope not!

 

[B4U]

you could've done it years ago by deleting the app altogether.

Never had failbook.
Had paid for WhatsApp BEFORE these criminals bought it. So, what is your point?

 

[Aston441]

Well I’m certainly not going to take their word for it.

As far as I’m concerned, Facebook’s main function is to collect and sell data.

They're glad most people think that.
Their main function is actually far more insidious.

 

[Krevnik]

I disabled background app refresh, is that not the same thing?

It isn’t.

VOIP and Location can wake up an app in the background separately. Some apps try to take advantage and do other work while they are being given CPU time.

Not a fan of the practice.

 

[alexandr]

Never had failbook.
Had paid for WhatsApp BEFORE these criminals bought it. So, what is your point?

my point that your "givie mark the middle finger" and "failbook" is all talk. doesn't matter when you BOUGHT whatsapp before it was free - if it's such a security breach for you, what are you still doing using it?!

 

[Soi Dog]

WhatsApp is essential to anyone who has friends or family overseas, especially if one party is in a developing country. I would imagine that losing WhatsApp would force 100Ks of users to switch to Android. I don't use Facebook Messenger very much, but some people occasionally use it to contact me, and it would certainly be a disruption and inconvenience to them.

Agree , Apple should design such apps also working on Android.