Introducing WhatsApp's Desktop App • Hacker News Board

Re: Introducing WhatsApp's Desktop App

#101

Post by khedoros » Wed, May 11, 2016, 5:50 AM UTC

NetStrikeForce wrote: post #33

sanjeetsuhag wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I feel the same way. Just build an independent app already. Telegram did it well. What's stopping WhatsApp ?

As kawera said two comments above yours: Their servers do not store unencrypted messages so they need to come from the phone. ---- That's why some people criticise Telegram: Their messages have to be stored unencrypted for their setup to work.

What's stopping them from either providing a way to sync the key to other devices, or allow the device to register its own keys, and they just store a couple copies of the encrypted data?

It seems like there should be ways to do it without storing unencrypted data.

Re: Introducing WhatsApp's Desktop App

#102

Post by manmal » Wed, May 11, 2016, 5:50 AM UTC

magazinelala wrote: post #90

NiekvdMaas wrote: post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is just a wrapper for web clients of the "protocols" they support. So WhatsApp is web.whatsapp.com in a tab, Skype is web.skype.com, etc.

Way to undermine the hard work of talented developers. Is that envy? You should see all the features its offer before calling it just a "wrapper".

It IS a wrapper around the web version. To be fair, the web version is very solid. It even warns you when your phone's battery is running low.

Re: Introducing WhatsApp's Desktop App

#103

Post by 746F7475 » Wed, May 11, 2016, 5:51 AM UTC

tostitos1979 wrote: post #62

Why is Facebook/WhatsApp doing the tether to the phone crap? I have a few seniors in the family who have no need of a cellphone (stay at home most of the time). Everyone else in the family uses WhatsApp and these poor people are left out of the look. It is completely stupid as far as I can see. What is the phone requirement buying them?

You can get smart phones for like $20 and if they are not used for anything the service costs are like $5/mo

Re: Introducing WhatsApp's Desktop App

#104

Post by Cakez0r » Wed, May 11, 2016, 5:52 AM UTC

tostitos1979 wrote: post #62

Why is Facebook/WhatsApp doing the tether to the phone crap? I have a few seniors in the family who have no need of a cellphone (stay at home most of the time). Everyone else in the family uses WhatsApp and these poor people are left out of the look. It is completely stupid as far as I can see. What is the phone requirement buying them?

I believe it's because your phone contains the private key needed to decrypt your messages.

Re: Introducing WhatsApp's Desktop App

#105

Post by Julio-Guerra » Wed, May 11, 2016, 5:53 AM UTC

It seems to be nothing more than https://web.whatsapp.com/ in a web view. So I can't really see interest.

Re: Introducing WhatsApp's Desktop App

#106

Post by Tiktaalik » Wed, May 11, 2016, 5:54 AM UTC

tsycho wrote: post #24

Tiktaalik wrote: post #3

Nice. Maybe with this I can convince my friends to move over to WhatsApp from Google Hangouts. The lack of desktop app support for Hangouts has been driving me nuts.

You could just open hangouts.google.com in a browser window, why do you need a native app? Also, Hangouts would not need phone tethering

It's incredibly frustrating to find the one tab/window you have open to hangouts when you have dozens of windows/tabs open.

Re: Introducing WhatsApp's Desktop App

#107

Post by ascorbic » Wed, May 11, 2016, 5:59 AM UTC

witty_username wrote: post #86

Tiktaalik wrote: post #3

Nice. Maybe with this I can convince my friends to move over to WhatsApp from Google Hangouts. The lack of desktop app support for Hangouts has been driving me nuts.

Why do you need desktop app support for Hangouts? You can install the extension.

Because I can't cmd-tab to it. Because it brings every Chrome window to front if I just want to read a message. Because it floats on top of Chrome whenever it's open. Because I can't easily move it between monitors, or to a different part of the screen. It's also really rubbish at uploading files. Why can't I drag and drop? And how about search? You're Google ffs. Why do I have to go to Gmail to search Hangouts, instead of allowing search in, oh I don't know, how about in Hangouts?

Some of these may have changed since I abandoned Hangouts last year for Telegram, which still has the best desktop experience.

Re: Introducing WhatsApp's Desktop App

#108

Post by ascorbic » Wed, May 11, 2016, 6:05 AM UTC

When I saw this I was excited that maybe I could finally switch from Telegram. But no, it's tethered. I don't want to have to always make sure my phone is charged and with signal. I really don't get it. I get they can't do it the telegram way, by storing plaintext on the server. However I don't get why they can't do it like iMessage and encrypt the messages with each registered device's key. Perhaps moxie can explain why they can't do this.

Re: Introducing WhatsApp's Desktop App

#109

Post by pimeys » Wed, May 11, 2016, 6:05 AM UTC

magazinelala wrote: post #89

ignoramous wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Remember that there is no sign up, and that your mobile (phone number once registered via SMS OTP) is the only client their servers can trust. Imagine a scenario where you were to get rid of the phone number and had sessions open on the desktop and the web. WhatsApp servers have no way of knowing where the phone number went or if it will be online ever again or if you continue to own the phone number, or someone else…

Telegram also relies on phone numbers, and you need them to just to log in. You can log in once and stay logged forever on your computer without ever touching your phone again. Whatsapp makes you to stay connected at the same time on your phone to use their web/desktop apps.

WhatsApp doesn't store messages on their servers, which is one of those features I really like in a privacy point of view. Signal does the same, its web app only loads the messages from your phone and they are not stored to any servers.

Re: Introducing WhatsApp's Desktop App

#110

Post by someonenice » Wed, May 11, 2016, 6:07 AM UTC

ignoramous wrote: post #71

tostitos1979 wrote: post #62

Why is Facebook/WhatsApp doing the tether to the phone crap? I have a few seniors in the family who have no need of a cellphone (stay at home most of the time). Everyone else in the family uses WhatsApp and these poor people are left out of the look. It is completely stupid as far as I can see. What is the phone requirement buying them?

Remember that there is no sign up, and that your mobile (phone number once registered via SMS OTP) is the only client their servers can trust. Imagine a scenario where you were to get rid of the phone number and had sessions open on the desktop and the web. WhatsApp servers have no way of knowing where the phone number went or if it will be online ever again or if you continue to own the phone number, or someone else…

Whatsapp only needs one time authentication through SMS OTP. And whats app need not be installed in the same phone as that containing the number. I use number from a different country for my whatsapp. I dont even have the phone with me. So when the OTP is received, I ask my friend to provide it to me.