WhatsApp Testing Apple Watch App

[bob24]

One issue I feel with 'moving' away from iMessage, is not having text/sms messages deliver to my Mac, iPad, etcetera. If that DID work, I would turn off iMessage...

I haven’t tried, but are you sure it is not possible to disable iMessage and still keep receiving text messages on all your Apple devices?

(“iMessage” and “Text Message Forwarding” are two separate toggles in the settings for the Messages App on my iPhone)

 

[circatee]

Whatsapp has a native app for Mac, iPad, iPhone, but of course, the price is fragmentation.

Yes, thanks, I am aware, and I use it. Another reason for my point above.
Alas, as a few others have mentioned, we're not going to have a 'one stop shop' in relation to sms/text apps.

PS: I remember back in the day, I did not use text, if you weren't on my BBM, well, you just wouldn't hear from me 😭

 

[circatee]

I haven’t tried, but are you sure it is not possible to disable iMessage and still keep receiving text messages on all your Apple devices?

(“iMessage” and “Text Message Forwarding” are two separate toggles in the settings for the Messages App on my iPhone)

Yes, tried it, and it failed. Following that, I even posted about it in the forums. Most mentioned that it is the 'forward' option that allows the iPhone to 'send' messages to the various devices connected to one's iCloud account.

A shame really...

 

[cics]

Why? What's Europe's fascination with WhatsApp? I don't get it. RCS is now fully rolled out and multiplatform. People who know better should start new conversations in their default messages app so their family and friends start to realize that WhatsApp isn't necessary. Why would people want to run all their personal and business communications through META of all companies?

Because when whatsapp launched, it was basically the only app available to send rich messages between users. when RCS launched years later, NO CARRIER advertised it and whatsapp already gained a considerable market share. First mover advantage.

Luckily I have switched all my family to iMessage.

 

[Parowdy]

Outside USA the world uses WA, it has been sorely absent!. Apple, pay Meta to make it so!

Pay META?? Hell nah.
It’s up to them to offer more flexibility for their users and make their products more accessible and attractive.
I hate Meta, they have no excuse for their lackluster support and Apple shouldn’t touch a dime to make them support an App that effectively replaces iMessage outside of the US.

 

[JoeSilver]

Just to reiterate the obvious, a few simple facts.

Global Market share of Android: ~70%
Global Market share of iOS: ~30% (in US ~61%, still very far from being the overwhelming majority)

WhatsApp is multiplatform.
iMessage is available on Apple OS's only.

Therefore, comparing the two messengers is completely pointless.
Unless you refuse to communicate with Android users, iMessage is not a valid alternative to WhatsApp.

End of the story.

 

[chmania]

Just to reiterate the obvious, a few simple facts.

Global Market share of Android: ~70%
Global Market share of iOS: ~30% (in US ~61%, still very far from being the overwhelming majority)



End of the story.

Not really.
You missed Harmony OS with about 1 billion customers.

 

[JoeSilver]

Not really.
You missed Harmony OS with about 1 billion customers.

Right, I guess there still is a handful of users of Ubuntu Touch (I was an early adopter myself).


Still, iMessage is for Apple users only, and therefore it makes no sense whatsoever to present it as an alternative to WhatsApp.

 

[chmania]

Right, I guess there still is a handful of users of Ubuntu Touch (I was an early adopter myself).

Not the same stuff...

Still, iMessage is for Apple users only, and therefore it makes no sense whatsoever to present it as an alternative to WhatsApp.

That's true, but all apps die, just like companies. Kodak and such for example...

 

[JoeSilver]

Not the same stuff...

Is WhatsApp available for the billion users of HarmonyOS? Yes.
iMessage? No.

Funnily enough, HarmonyOS users will probably use WeChat (or whatever it's deemed appropriate).
But that doesn't change the fact that iMessage cannot be adopted by the vast majority of the mobile users. Simply because Apple doesn't want to.

That's true, but all apps die, just like companies. Kodak and such for example...

if WhatsApp dies, iMessage will not take its place, unless Apple decides to make versions for other OSes. Which won't happen, for the reasons explained earlier in this thread.

 

[chmania]

Is WhatsApp available for the billion users of HarmonyOS? Yes.
iMessage? No.

True. Who needs iMessage?

Funnily enough, HarmonyOS users will probably use WeChat (or whatever it's deemed appropriate).
But that doesn't change the fact that iMessage cannot be adopted by the vast majority of the mobile users. Simply because Apple doesn't want to.

The same response. Who really needs iMessage? It's mainly for iPhone users, and there aren't that many of them out in the world. Android is at the moment the king, but in the near future?

I’m watching a video of HarmonyOS 6.0 beta on a Huawei phone. They’ve placed all the Android apps in an Android container, so theoretically, they could do the same with iOS apps if they wanted. However, I’m not sure they’d actually want to.

 

[Frankie_r]

F I N A L L Y 🤩🥳🎊🎉🎊🎉

 

[Galas]

Why? What's Europe's fascination with WhatsApp? I don't get it. RCS is now fully rolled out and multiplatform. People who know better should start new conversations in their default messages app so their family and friends start to realize that WhatsApp isn't necessary. Why would people want to run all their personal and business communications through META of all companies?

Most of the world uses Whatsapp. And I would also add, it's the most used chat app in all americas.
Mostly because early adoption

 

[ipedro]

Most of the world uses Whatsapp. And I would also add, it's the most used chat app in all americas.
Mostly because early adoption

I know. I just don't get the appeal. It's a sh*itty app, poorly designed and run by a company that exists for no other reason than to ingest users' personal data to sell them stuff.

I know I could be describing Google but when you have to put an * to say that Google isn't as bad as the company I'm actually referring to (META), you know it has to be really bad. Zuck & Co. have no moral code whatsoever. To be having all of your private conversations on their app is just bananas insane.

 

[JoeSilver]

I know. I just don't get the appeal. It's a sh*itty app, poorly designed and run by a company that exists for no other reason than to ingest users' personal data to sell them stuff.

I know I could be describing Google but when you have to put an * to say that Google isn't as bad as the company I'm actually referring to (META), you know it has to be really bad. Zuck & Co. have no moral code whatsoever. To be having all of your private conversations on their app is just bananas insane.

OK, now... unless you have an evidence to the contrary, Whatsapp uses end-to-end encryption. I've lost months of chats migrating from Android to iPhone because there is no way of moving the chats from one system to another, given the fact that they are encrypted in a way which isn't exportable (as far as I know).

So, while I share your disgust for Meta, I don't think that it's correct to spread misinformation.

 

[Infuspeur]

Public release launched

Introducing WhatsApp for Apple Watch

Today we are announcing a big upgrade for your wrist - the all-new WhatsApp app for your Apple Watch*

blog.whatsapp.com

 

[Janschi]

So how do I get on the WhatsApp test flight?

You don't

 

[Parowdy]

It's mainly for iPhone users, and there aren't that many of them out in the world.

…

HarmonyOS - runs on fridges, watches, tablets, computers, TV‘s, whatnot AND phones:
>900.000.000 users

iOS - runs on iPhones:
>1.500.000.000 users

You have a point, and then you lose it.

 

[oric1sg]

Public release launched

Introducing WhatsApp for Apple Watch

Today we are announcing a big upgrade for your wrist - the all-new WhatsApp app for your Apple Watch*

blog.whatsapp.com

Thanks for the heads up. The WhatsApp app was automatically loaded to the watch but when I clicked on the app, I kept getting this screen.

Update: Ok, I found out the reason why. It's because I archived all my messages. When I moved 1 of the messages from the archive to Chats, the below screen disappeared.