Whatsapp started with news in 2023. A function that aims to solve one of the main problems for messenger users: to continue with their conversations even with service cuts, as a measure against the censorship that a government can apply.
The messaging app announced this Friday through its official blog the launch of proxy support for over 2 billion users worldwide. This means that they will now have the ability to access WhatsApp even if their cellular connection is blocked or interrupted.
By choosing a proxy, users will be able to connect to WhatsApp through servers set up by volunteers and organizations from around the world who are dedicated to helping people communicate for free, as confirmed by Meta.
“If you want to help people reconnect with WhatsApp, you can set up a proxy using a server with ports 80, 443 or 5222 available and a domain name (or subdomain) that points to the IP address of the server,” they said. messenger official blog.
In fact, detailed documentation and source codes to get this proxy working are available in the GitHub repository.
One of the concerns that can arise when connecting with a proxy concerns the privacy and security of the conversations. “Your personal messages will continue to be protected by end-to-end encryption, which ensures that only you and the person you communicate with will be able to see them, with no intermediaries like other people, proxy servers, WhatsApp or Meta,” he clarified the society.
A feature to bypass censorship
Cuts in services such as those that occurred recently in Iran following the crime against Mahsa Amin, assured by Meta, “undermine people’s human rights and do not allow them to receive help in emergency situations”. For this reason, Tech hopes that this new feature can help those in places where secure and reliable communication is needed.
Therefore, the user who no longer has access to the messaging service will be able to circumvent any type of block by connecting with a proxy which, in particular, acts as an intermediary with the main servers.
This option has begun to be available in the WhatsApp settings menu for everyone who has the latest version of the messenger.
What is a proxy and what is it for?
When you use a proxy, for example to browse the internet, you connect to the proxy first and the proxy redirects your traffic to the website. That’s why this class of server is also called “forwarding proxy”, as it receives the response from the website and sends it back to the user.
A proxy server is commonly used to access services whose content is blocked in a particular country:
Among the proxy services there is the blocking of cookies and other objects hosted on the web. Both are very practical to protect privacy and anonymity.
Connect to a proxy on Android
Make sure you are using the latest version of WhatsApp.
On the Chats tab, tap the More options icon > Settings.
Tap Storage & data > Proxies.
Tap Use Proxy.
Press “Set up proxy” and then enter your address.
Press the “Save” button.
If the connection is successful, a green check will appear.
If you are still unable to send or receive WhatsApp messages through a proxy, the proxy may be blocked. According to the company, this can be fixed by long pressing on the blocked proxy address to remove it. Then enter another proxy address and try again.
Source: Clarin
Linda Price is a tech expert at News Rebeat. With a deep understanding of the latest developments in the world of technology and a passion for innovation, Linda provides insightful and informative coverage of the cutting-edge advancements shaping our world.