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Ask HN: How would you convince your friends and family to switch from WhatsApp?

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51–60 of 210 posts

Re: Ask HN: How would you convince your friends and family to switch from WhatsApp?

#51
I can't speak directly to whatsapp but I got more than a few family members and friends to install Signal by saying "I use Signal for my messaging, you can still reach me by txt but I can't promise I'll respond in a reasonable timeframe as I may not see the message.”

Granted there was a white lie in there since I use Signal as my default app for sms too. Nonetheless it did the trick.

Re: Ask HN: How would you convince your friends and family to switch from WhatsApp?

#52

I don't use any messenger apps, but I work in AdTech. Just curious, what exactly are you trying to hide? What kind of information is being shared by WhatsApp?

> Just curious, what exactly are you trying to hide?

That's none of your business.

Re: Ask HN: How would you convince your friends and family to switch from WhatsApp?

#53
post #5

I tried asking my parents to switch to Signal, but it did not fly. They are in their 70s and are used to WhatsApp. They don't care about privacy. My Mom yelled at me for endorsing Signal to her. She said: "All my friends are on WhatsApp. I don't want to install another app just because of one person."

My strategy is: tell them I will be leaving WhatsApp, and they can reach me on Signal. If they don’t care enough to install a free app to talk to me, good riddance.

In response my sister just sms' me.

Re: Ask HN: How would you convince your friends and family to switch from WhatsApp?

#54
post #4

My family hates WhatsApp as there are no Telegram stickers there. So it was easy. So I guess, I'd show them animated stickers. WhatsApp feels archaic tbh

>My family hates WhatsApp

Wish I had your family. Telegram's new Group voice chat feature (Push to talk) might push them over though.

Re: Ask HN: How would you convince your friends and family to switch from WhatsApp?

#55
post #41
post #36

I started using Telegram a couple of years ago to prevent my "online status" on Whatsapp being visible to everyone. Just start using both, and convince a few close family members (spouse/parents) to start using the app. People cannot be forced into using a new product. On the other hand, they will automatically use the better product if their network is on both. Now my parents and partner are comfortable with both Wh…

>I started using Telegram a couple of years ago to prevent my "online status" on Whatsapp being visible to everyone. FWIW you can just disable this in the settings.

You can't hide when you're actually online.

Re: Ask HN: How would you convince your friends and family to switch from WhatsApp?

#56

Steps, I've taken in order. 0. Removing myself from all active WhatsApp groups. 1. Setting the WhatsApp status to 'Message me on Signal or Email me' and not responding to non-important messages till they message on Signal or Email me. 2. When someone asks if we can continue our conversation on WhatsApp, politely informing them that I don't use WhatsApp and asking them to message on Signal. 3. Setting a Tasker auto re…

Uprooting and going away with no warning, and then refusing to communicate unless it's not from an old platform sounds is a perfect recipe for being seen as awfully arrogant. The issue here is that it's a sudden approach. Humans are creatures of habit, and shifting interpersonal relationships slowly matters. This is not an API migration to a new provider where you push a commit or two and it's done. If you explain wh…

How is it arrogant to dictate personal boundaries? If your not comfortable using a messaging app, you don’t have to use it.

Why are you suggesting that everyone needs to bow to peer pressure or they’re arrogant?

If I suddenly decide one day I don’t want to drink alcohol but all my friends do, if they see me as arrogant because of that, that’s their problem, not mine. I’m under no obligation to slowly stop drinking because of them.

Re: Ask HN: How would you convince your friends and family to switch from WhatsApp?

#57
post #4

My family hates WhatsApp as there are no Telegram stickers there. So it was easy. So I guess, I'd show them animated stickers. WhatsApp feels archaic tbh

WhatsApp seems to have animated stickers, though. I haven't used them, but they're popular.

Re: Ask HN: How would you convince your friends and family to switch from WhatsApp?

#58
post #5

I tried asking my parents to switch to Signal, but it did not fly. They are in their 70s and are used to WhatsApp. They don't care about privacy. My Mom yelled at me for endorsing Signal to her. She said: "All my friends are on WhatsApp. I don't want to install another app just because of one person."

[deleted]

Re: Ask HN: How would you convince your friends and family to switch from WhatsApp?

#59
Family is easy. They have a necessity to keep in touch with me, so they'll use whatever I tell them to.

Friends is the one that's hard. In my case it's WeChat not WhatsApp. I only use WeChat because a huge fraction of my friends use only WeChat and nothing else. Considering the stronghold WeChat has in China now it's almost impossible to get anyone to switch at least until something else in China can compete with it.

I have a separate phone just for WeChat because of the number of egregious privacy violations it appears to execute on my phone.

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