WhatsApp - GrapheneOS Discussion Forum

Alan_the_coder

I have a GOS phone with no Google framework services installed. I am on holiday in a country where you can buy a Sim card with no id required (valid one month).
I would like to take this opportunity to install WhatsApp and register.
When it comes to privacy, is it better :
To create a secondary profile on my phone and install WhatsApp (if it can work without Google)
Or buy a cheap phone and install w on it? (I wouldn't use this phone for anything else)

W1zardK1ng

Alan_the_coder whatsapp can work without google play services, you need to allow unrestricted background usage for notifications to work. Also you can enable Passkeys so when you change phone or trying re-register you don't need sms to for verification.

ryrona

Alan_the_coder I am on holiday in a country where you can buy a Sim card with no id required (valid one month).
I would like to take this opportunity to install WhatsApp and register.

Beware, by default, anyone who has a SIM card for a certain phone number can access the WhatsApp account belonging to that phone number, ie take over your WhatsApp account so they receive all future messages sent to it instead of you.

If you don't renew you phone number, someone else might be assigned it, and thus effectively the WhatsApp account in that phone number become theirs.

This problem is in common with all messengers that use phone number as account identifier.

02673853

Alan_the_coder To create a secondary profile on my phone and install WhatsApp (if it can work without Google)

I would recommend to put Whatsapp in the private space (along with all other proprietary apps that require network permission)

23Sha-ger

ryrona
Whatsapp has 2FA or passkeys to prevent this. A 6 digit code should be sufficient.
You can't register a new device without it.

W1zardK1ng

https://sms4sats.com is a good alternative but i will never use a number which is not under my control to use WhatsApp to connect with my friends or family bcz of the same reason mentioned by @ryrona

Alan_the_coder

Not sure if it's possible, but if I setup 2FA with an authenticator app, would it prevent someone else (with my number when it expires) to access my account?

W1zardK1ng

Alan_the_coder whatsapp doesn't support 2fa with Authenticator apps. Its just a pin you set while you create the account and can be reset using sms. If someone else own the number they own the WhatsApp account too.

W1zardK1ng

23Sha-ger No that's not true, 2fa can be reset using sms but need to wait 7 days.
https://faq.whatsapp.com/2183055648554771

The safest way is to get a real number, create a whatsapp account with it wait for 3 months(many change based on carrier) then port it to a voip service to keep the number. Enable passkeys for Verification without sms.