The encrypting messenger signal wants to distribute an update in the coming days that offers the possibility to set different backgrounds in the chat and to use animated stickers. In addition, users should be able to enter information about themselves in a new About field in their profile. In addition, new functions for iOS users will be introduced: These will make settings for automatic downloads and use full-screen profile photos as in the Android version.
Signal is currently getting numerous new users: Many are switching from WhatsApp because the service has given its consent enforces its new privacy policy, which states that data will be passed on to other Facebook services. The possibility of passing on applies with the restriction that these may not be used for advertising, but for analysis purposes.
The Hamburg data protection officer Johannes Caspar emphasized that for the user it is “extremely indeterminate and non-transparent” what the cooperation and data exchange in the group looks like, since in addition to the restriction, marketing purposes are still mentioned in the data protection declaration. “Facebook’s goal of using user data across companies can neither be justified by a corporate privilege that is not covered by the GDPR, nor by user consent.”
See also:
Signal: Download quickly and safely from heise.de (tdi)
During the coronavirus pandemic, people not only spend more time at home but also on their smartphones. They download more new apps than ever before and spend more money on them. This comes from statistics from the market analysis company App Annie.
According to this, users last year 218 Billions of new mobile apps downloaded, seven percent more than 2019. Mobile phone users in the app stores from Apple, Google and the Android derivatives in China have a total of 143 billion US Dollars (about 125 million euros after the annual mean exchange rate), an increase of 20 percent. The average mobile phone time around the world is 4 hours by the same percentage and 10 Minutes increased daily.
Mobile phone usage in Europe below average Users in Europe spend less time on Cell phone than the global average. In Germany, for example, it was only a little over two and a half hours a day. But that’s ten minutes more than 2019.
According to the Statistics last year 2.2 billion new apps downloaded and in the app stores of Apple and Google 3, 12 billion dollars (2, 45 billion euros) spent. In Austria it was 400 millions of new apps and 230 million dollars (202 Million Euros). Although Switzerland has fewer inhabitants, users there 610 downloaded millions of new apps and 240 million dollars (210 million euros) spent. German users were on average significantly more generous than Austrians for new apps, and much more generous than Swiss.
Mobile phone usage is not only increasing among younger users in Germany. Generation Z at the age of 16 to 24 recorded a year-on-year increase of 11 Percent increased usage time, the greatest increase. Generation X 45 also spent seven percent more time on the smartphone than in the previous year. Millenials aged 25 to 44 years have only increased their cell phone usage time by three percent.
Social networks, video streaming and delivery services Mobile phone users spend a lot of their time on social networks. TikTok is the big winner. The video portal with its short amateur clips was 2019 behind WhatsApp and Facebook in terms of usage times in Germany. 2020 TikTok was able to reduce its usage times to an average of 19 more than double hours per month. That is significantly more than WhatsApp (less than 11 hours per month) or Facebook (eleven and a half hours per month).
Video streaming on smartphones stopped last year at 40 percent increased. However, the use of YouTube has decreased in Germany, from almost 13 hours to around 12, 5 hours a month. It looks similar with Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. Users who are more at home can use larger screens such as TV, PC or laptop more often. Apps like the game streaming service Twitch and the Joyn Mediathek from ProSiebenSat.1 were able to grow last year.
Delivery services for food or recipe information were further winners for the most popular mobile apps in times of the pandemic. The usage times of delivery services in Germany have increased by more than half over the last year. According to the market researchers from App Annie, the coronavirus pandemic and the exit restrictions have led to cell phone use rising as much within one year as it did in three years.
Telegram has emerged strongly in recent years as an alternative to WhatsApp, with functions in many cases superior but with a smaller number of users. However, little by little more and more people try Telegram, and the social network itself, owned by Russian Pavel Dúrov, has just announced that have managed to surpass the 470 millions of active users having received more of 25 million new accounts in the last 72 hours.
More of 24 millions of new accounts have been created in telegram after the modification of the terms of use of WhatsApp
The reason for this “exodus” would be behind the changes to the terms of use of WhatsApp, which now requires sharing the data of the instant messaging service with Facebook, owner of the company. Although these terms and the transfer of data do not affect users in the European Union, it seems that it has been enough for millions of users around the world to try Telegram as their messaging service.
Although growth is great, Telegram numbers are still far from WhatsApp
With those 500 millions of active users, Telegram is positioned as one of the most important alternatives to WhatsApp, however, they are still very far from the number of users who use the popular instant messaging application owned by Facebook with its nothing more and nothing less than 2. 000 million active users, data that the company published in February of last year.
In these guides we teach you how to delete both the WhatsApp account and how to delete the Telegram account.
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Antonio Delgado
Computer Engineer by training, editor and hardware analyst at Geeknetic since 2011. I love gutting everything that comes my way, especially the latest hardware that we get here for reviews. In my spare time I fiddle with 3d printers, drones and other gadgets. For anything here you have me.
WhatsApp has published a new FAQ page to its website outlining its stances on user privacy in response to widespread backlash over an upcoming privacy policy update. The core issue relates to WhatsApp’s data-sharing procedures with Facebook, with many users concerned an updated privacy policy going into effect on February 8th will mandate sharing of sensitive profile information with WhatsApp’s parent company.
That isn’t true — the update has nothing to do with consumer chats or profile data, and instead the change is designed to outline how businesses who use WhatsApp for customer service may store logs of its chats on Facebook servers. That’s something the company feels it is required to disclose in its privacy policy, which it’s now doing after previewing the upcoming changes to business chats back in October.
But a wave of misinformation on social media, not helped by Facebook’s abysmal track record on privacy and its reputation for obfuscating changes to its various terms of service agreements, has resulted in a full-blown WhatsApp backlash that has users fleeing to competitors like Signal and Telegram.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has even jumped into the fray, tweeting last week “Use Signal” to his more than 42 million followers. As the controversy has grown, Signal has become one of the most downloaded apps on Android and iOS and its verification system for signing up new users has repeatedly buckled under the pressure. Telegram, which is currently No. 2 behind Signal on the App Store, saw more than 25 million new users sign up in just the last 72 hours.
Telegram surpassed 500 million active users. 25 million new users joined in the last 72 hours: 38% came from Asia, 27% from Europe, 21% from Latin America and 8% from MENA. https://t.co/1LptHZb9PQ
— Telegram Messenger (@telegram) January 12, 2021
WhatsApp executives, as well as Instagram chief Adam Mosseri and Facebook AR / VR head Andrew “Boz” Bosworth, are now trying to set the record straight, perhaps to little avail at this point.
There is a lot of misinformation about the WhatsApp ToS right now. The policy update does *not* affect the privacy of your messages with friends or family in any way. The changes are related to messaging a business on WhatsApp, which is optional. https://t.co/b7szUeinKX
— Adam Mosseri (@mosseri) January 12, 2021
“We want to be clear that the policy update does not affect the privacy of your messages with friends or family in any way. Instead, this update includes changes related to messaging a business on WhatsApp, which is optional, and provides further transparency about how we collect and use data,” the company writes on the new FAQ page.
It also stresses in the FAQ that neither Facebook nor WhatsApp read users’ message logs or listen to their calls, and that WhatsApp doesn’t store user location data or share contact information with Facebook. (It’s also worth noting that data sharing with Facebook is extremely limited for European users due to stronger user privacy protections in the EU.)
WhatsApp chief Will Cathcart also took to Twitter a few days ago to post a thread (later shared by Bosworth in the tweet above) trying to cut through the confusion and explain what’s actually going on.
“With end-to-end encryption, we cannot see your private chats or calls and neither can Facebook. We’re committed to this technology and committed to defending it globally,” Cathcart wrote. “It’s important for us to be clear this update describes business communication and does not change WhatsApp’s data sharing practices with Facebook. It does not impact how people communicate privately with friends or family wherever they are in the world.”
That’s why we are so committed to end-to-end encryption, and why we keep improving the privacy of WhatsApp, such as with our launch of disappearing messages in November. Our innovation on privacy will continue.
— Will Cathcart (@wcathcart) January 8, 2021
A bit of irony in all of this is the data sharing WhatsApp users are so keen to avoid has already likely been happening for a vast majority of those who use the messaging platform. The company let users opt out of data sharing with Facebook for only a brief amount of time back in 2016, two years after Facebook purchased the platform.
After that, new sign-ups and those who didn’t manually opt out of data sharing have had some WhatsApp information, principally their phone number and profile name, shared with the larger social network for ad targeting and other purposes. (If you did opt out, WhatsApp says it will honor that even after the February 8th update, according to PCMag.)
If you look at the privacy labels for WhatsApp on the App Store, labels Apple only last month began forcing developers to disclose, you’ll see scores of information that is marked as “data linked to you,” although only a unique device ID and app usage data is listed as used for “developer’s advertising and marketing.” (WhatsApp tried publicly calling Apple out for not making its own first-party apps adhere to the same standards, only for Apple to reply that it does in fact list privacy labels for the iOS apps it develops.)
In the upcoming privacy policy change, language regarding data sharing with Facebook was changed, leading many to believe the new mandated data sharing was a new change that could not be avoided — even though it’s been happening all along. “As part of the Facebook family of companies, WhatsApp receives information from, and shares information with, this family of companies,” reads WhatsApp’s new privacy policy. “We may use the information we receive from them, and they may use the information we share with them, to help operate, provide, improve, understand, customize, support, and market our Services and their offerings.”
This whole controversy may be chalked up to users misreading confusing media reports, jumping to conclusions, and then participating in scaremongering on social media. But it’s also a reality Facebook must contend with that the lack of trust in WhatsApp is directly related to years of bad faith privacy pledges from Facebook and increasingly complex terms of service agreements no regular, non-lawyer user can reasonably comprehend.
It’s no wonder then that users are flocking to an app like Signal — managed by a nonprofit and subsisting on donations and wealthy benefactors like none other than WhatsApp co-founder Brian Acton — when they feel they can no longer trust what’s really happening when they message their friends on their smartphone. Now, Facebook and WhatsApp face a long road of transparent communication and trust-building ahead if they want to get those people back.
I made it, I switched completely from Whatsapp to Signal. That doesn’t sound like a Herculean work done, but wait a minute: I also managed to migrate two WhatsApp groups. To explain why this was not a trivial undertaking, I’ll dig a little.
What is missing: In the rapid world of technology, there is often time to rearrange the many news and backgrounds. At the weekend we want to take it, follow the sidewalks away from the current, try different perspectives and make nuances audible.
I have been using instant messengers since they spread on a larger scale, roughly since 1996 / 1997. ICQ, AOL, Yahoo, MSN – I had them all and more, there was a lot of mess on the desktop. The solution was Adium, where accounts from different providers could be gathered under one roof, everyone could continue frying their extra sausage and still reach me. The matter was clear on the cell phone, SMS was sent and received with it.
About ten years ago Whatsapp came onto my cell phone , which was no longer an old-style cell phone, but an iPhone. Whatsapp offered itself as an alternative to SMS messages, because at that time they still cost something per piece; That could add up to a lot in intensive SMS dialogues. Smartphones were slowly gaining acceptance among my family, friends and acquaintances, so that I could easily convince them of the free alternative. Yes, I was, so to speak, a missionary without a contract and helped ensure that the software could spread so universally. Already 2017 there should have been 2 billion Whatsapp users.
All the world on Whatsapp Everyone used Whatsapp, with the exception of a few around me who didn’t want to buy a smartphone or then, when they did have one thing, specifically refused to do this service. They continued to get SMS or a good old email from me and did not become part of all the many groups that formed on Whatsapp – digital outsiders, so to speak, who at most used messengers like Threema or Signal.
I had installed it at some point, despite my aversion to the mess of communication that I still knew from the desktop, and knowing that this Unified Messaging, as Adium made it possible, does not exist on the mobile phone. In Signal and Threema, it also became apparent that, apart from me, only a few of my contacts could be reached through them. Whatsapp developed into a giant and was consequently taken over by another giant called Facebook almost seven years ago, whose user base is now also in the billions.
It is similar with both: They bid for Communication and networking have indisputable advantages, otherwise they would not have spread so widely. And the more they spread, the greater the advantages of being able to reach everyone under one roof, so to speak. So I was able to write to people via Whatsapp 200, with Signal and Threema only a dozen.
Of those But the digital outsiders didn’t let themselves be confused, because they belong to the small kind of people who read terms and conditions and data protection declarations, maybe even completely. Their concerns were aroused at the latest when Facebook boss Marc Zuckerberg asserted shortly after the takeover of Whatsapp that the messenger service would remain autonomous. His company’s hunger for data was already too well known at the time.
What will be the news of WhatsApp in am I arriving at this 2021? The most used and important platform in the world seems ready to introduce many new features for users including one that will allow you to use multiple devices at the same time with the same account. Let’s see them together.
by Bruno Mucciarelli published 11 January 2021 , at 12: 01 in the Telephony channel Whatsapp
Whatsapp is undoubtedly the most used messaging application in the world. A platform that has changed a lot over the years, introducing multiple innovations regarding more or less graphic and more or less important aspects. In fact the 2021 could be a very important year for users who use this type of system on a daily basis to exchange messages with each other. The innovations that the developers of Mark Zuckerberg have planned to develop and introduce are in fact so many and this means that important changes await us especially in the use of the system on the desktop and beyond.
WhatsApp: here are all the news coming in 2021
Use on multiple devices
Finally it will also arrive for WhatsApp and its users the ability to use the platform on multiple devices at the same time. Therefore, anyone will no longer have the mere need to insert the SIM and therefore only and exclusively connect the account to their phone number and therefore use the system only on the device in which the SIM is inserted. The change will only allow users to use WhatsApp simultaneously on a smartphone, on a tablet or even on a computer but with a maximum of 4 devices. And this clearly without the need, as mentioned above, to have the connection via SIM.
A system that has been used for some time with other competitors as Telegram which synchronizes all messages on its cloud and therefore allows users to use their account on multiple devices at the same time. Messenger but also Instagram does the same and therefore it is legitimate to finally expect the arrival of this news also for WhatsApp, after having already seen it in the Beta versions in the last few weeks.
Video calls on WhatsApp Web
Video calls made directly on the desktop application will also be a reality. The Web version of WhatsApp will soon be enriched with the possibility of making video calls directly with your PC and this, in a phase of life in which many users are blocked at home for various lockdowns, can only be a very appreciated novelty.
Anyone can open the Web version on their PC or notebook and use the WhatsApp application to make a classic video call just like it has been on the mobile version for some time. Therefore, no inconvenience of having to use your smartphone to call your friends or even your colleagues or customers with video. Soon it will be possible to do it with the PC camera and maybe even better quality than what happens today with the smartphone.
Vacation Mode
It will probably be one of the most awaited news by WhatsApp users. Let’s talk about the so-called Vacation Mode (the name could also change during the formalization phase) and it will involve group conversations that exchange significant quantities of messages. In this case, in fact, the users participating in a certain group in a chat can easily move the conversations they are not interested in to a special archive in such a way that each message returns to the foreground in the list of various chats.
In this case, therefore, the chats would become almost secret and hidden unless the user of his own free will decide to view them. And here he should go to the appropriate section of the “ archived ” conversations and read them since they would not have sent any kind of notification and would not have appeared in any way in the list of other conversations.
Shopping
There will be the introduction of a button for Shopping. This seems to be a further novelty that WhatsApp intends to introduce precisely from this new one 2021. The goal of the Zuckerberg giant is to allow its users to do real shopping directly on chats and in the internal services of the messaging application. A novelty that has long seemed in the thoughts of the creator of Facebook and which could now actually arrive on WhatsApp. How? It is still not clear but it seems that users will be able to visit real shopping stores inside the platform with catalogs or product showcases from which they can buy directly.
In this case, however, it seems that WhatsApp, in the event of an actual purchase by the user, will send the same to any secure payment platforms on specific sites or after the confirmation of the order. Certainly what the developers of WhatsApp hope is to simplify this step too and to allow in the short term to be able to make payments directly on the messaging platform but in fact this step does not seem to be immediately immediate indeed the development seems to have been postponed or in any case are not so fast.
The Corona crisis has resulted in people talking on the phone significantly longer than before. In the past year, a cellular connection took an average of three minutes and 20 seconds and thus 35 seconds longer than 2019, as Vodafone announced on request. In the previous years, however, the duration of the average mobile phone calls had remained more or less constant.
There was a similar development at the competitor Telefónica (O2), the average mobile phone call in the first Corona year lasted three minutes and thus half a minute longer than 2019. During the Corona lockdowns in spring and December, Telefónica even reported a call time of four minutes. The third mobile network operator, Deutsche Telekom, did not provide any information.
Higher landline and internet use The pandemic also had an impact on landline use, calls via these connections lasted four and a half minutes with Vodafone in the year 2020 and thus 30 seconds longer than before. Vodafone technical director Gerhard Mack says with a look at the figures: “People 2020 have been on the phone more often and, above all, for longer to keep in touch with friends and around themselves to exchange ideas with work colleagues in this way. ” The number of mobile phone calls at Vodafone rose by almost a billion to 28 billion, the number of landline calls remained roughly the same at a good three billion.
In addition, there are calls via “VoIP” services (Voice over IP) such as Skype or WhatsApp. There are no figures for such conversations. It is clear, however, that the increase in the mass of Internet data is partly due to these services, audio and video calls via these Internet services are popular.
Data growth – “Film evenings and video chat ” Vodafone also put information on Internet use in Germany on the table. In the fixed network, the Düsseldorf company came to eleven exabytes of data (eleven billion gigabytes) last year. This corresponds to a plus of good 30 percent. In previous years, the increase in data was only around 20 percent – the Corona restrictions including closed cinemas and pubs led to the People were more at home and more online. “Most of the data rushed through the network in the evening because the good old movie night with the family was back in fashion and because we met our friends more often in video chat instead of in the pub or at home,” says Vodafone manager Mack.
The pandemic also had an impact on the mobile network: Here the data volume used at Vodafone increased by 40 percent, but in previous years it was 50 percent. The weaker value is due to the fact that people were less on the move during pandemic times and therefore used the W-LAN at home more often instead of the mobile data on their cell phones. The amount of internet data has been increasing for years as a result of advancing digitization – the more heavily used applications are becoming more data-intensive, for example because films are now more frequently streamed in high-resolution versions.
In the past few days, the planned changes to WhatsApp’s terms and conditions have made waves. Facebook intends to interlink its social media platform and the messenger service more closely and intends to link all data with one another in the future. However, all EU citizens should not be forced to do so. According to Niamh Sweeney, Director of Policy at Whatsapp, the upcoming Messenger update on the European market will not make any changes to the exchange of data between WhatsApp and Facebook.
However, this does not mean that Facebook does not receive any data from the messenger service. As can be seen from the WhatsApp FAQ, the telephone number that was verified when WhatsApp was registered and some device information are transmitted. In addition to the device ID, this also includes the operating system version as well as the app version and platform information, country code of the mobile number and much more. Usage information, such as the last usage period for WhatsApp, is also shared with Facebook. The type and frequency is also mentioned in the FAQ mentioned. Thus, a large amount of data from the individual users already flows through the installation of the messenger. If you don’t want this, you only have the option of completely doing without the messenger.
Data protection notice for Twitter
At this point we would like to show you a Twitter feed. Protecting your data is important to us: By integrating the applet, Twitter sets cookies on your computer, with which you may be able to be tracked. If you want to allow that, just click on this feed. The content is then loaded and displayed to you.
Your Hardwareluxx-Team
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Everyone who is currently looking for an alternative and does not want to use a data octopus on their own smartphone should take a closer look at the Messenger Signal. The encrypted messenger is operated by the Signal Foundation and can be used with both iOS devices and Android mobile phones. A corresponding desktop version is also available for Windows, macOS and Linux systems. A free download can be found here.
In the past few days, the planned changes to WhatsApp’s terms and conditions have made waves. Facebook intends to interlink its social media platform and the messenger service more closely and intends to link all data with one another in the future. However, all EU citizens should not be forced to do so. According to Niamh Sweeney, Director of Policy at Whatsapp, the upcoming Messenger update on the European market will not make any changes to the exchange of data between WhatsApp and Facebook.
However, this does not mean that Facebook does not receive any data from the messenger service. As can be seen from the WhatsApp FAQ, the telephone number that was verified when WhatsApp was registered and some device information are transmitted. In addition to the device ID, this also includes the operating system version as well as the app version and platform information, country code of the mobile number and much more. Usage information, such as the last usage period for WhatsApp, is also shared with Facebook. The type and frequency is also mentioned in the FAQ mentioned. Thus, a large amount of data from the individual users already flows through the installation of the messenger. If you don’t want this, you only have the option of completely doing without the messenger.
Data protection notice for Twitter
At this point we would like to show you a Twitter feed. Protecting your data is important to us: By integrating the applet, Twitter sets cookies on your computer, with which you may be able to be tracked. If you want to allow that, just click on this feed. The content is then loaded and displayed to you.
Your Hardwareluxx-Team
Show tweets directly from now on
Everyone who is currently looking for an alternative and does not want to use a data octopus on their own smartphone should take a closer look at the Messenger Signal. The encrypted messenger is operated by the Signal Foundation and can be used with both iOS devices and Android mobile phones. A corresponding desktop version is also available for Windows, macOS and Linux systems. A free download can be found here.
After the notice in the app that the privacy policy for WhatsApp is changing, there is confusion about what now applies to users in the European Union. It is clear that the data protection guideline has been revised. Users must agree to the changed terms of use by February 8, otherwise they will no longer be able to use Messenger. According to a Facebook spokeswoman, the information WhatsApp shares with other Facebook companies has not changed; This also means that they are shared, but with restrictions.
If you follow the links in the window that pops up, you end up at the terms of use and must first see if it is about those that apply to the EU or outside the EU. That can be selected. The data protection declaration valid in this country is with EWR-Feb. 2021 titled.
Third-party providers and Facebook companies Under the section “Third-party providers” it says that Whatsapp works with third-party providers and other Facebook companies, ” that help us operate, offer, improve, understand, customize, support and market our services “. And further, that a paragraph below explains how WhatsApp works with other Facebook companies. So the part that has changed according to the message window. Whoever clicks on this link again lands on the page on which it says again:
” As part of the Facebook companies, WhatsApp receives information from other Facebook companies and also shares information with other Facebook companies to promote the safety and integrity of all Facebook company products; B. WhatsApp takes action against spam, threats, abuse or infringements of rights.
WhatsApp also works with and shares information with the other Facebook companies so that they can help us operate, provide, improve, understand, customize, support and market our services. ”
There follows the restriction that the information that WhatsApp passes on to Facebook is not for” Facebook’s own purposes. Company “may be used.
A Facebook spokeswoman assured heise online that the data transfer practices in the EU (including Great Britain) have not changed. “WhatsApp does not share user data with Facebook, so that Facebook can use this data to improve its products or advertisements.” Nevertheless, every user must agree to the change in the data protection guideline – and thus also to the transfer of data. The terms of use do not mention that users have so far been able to at least partially prevent the exchange of information. It is questionable whether this option will be retained in the settings.
The Hamburg data protection officer, Johannes Caspar, is currently examining the matter. He had already sued against the merging of data from the Facebook companies.
The encrypting messenger signal is getting a lot of new users. The reason is that WhatsApp forces its users to approve the sharing of additional data with Facebook. Perhaps a tweet from Tesla founder Elon Musk also contributed to the growth at Signal. The inflow even overloaded Signal’s registration process for a short time.
In WhatsApp’s updated privacy policy, it says under Others: “As part of the Facebook company, WhatsApp receives information from other Facebook companies and also shares information with other Facebook companies”. If you want to continue using WhatsApp, you have to agree to the new terms of use – by February 8th at the latest. So far, WhatsApp users had the right to restrict the transfer of data.
Asked WhatsApp alternatives Many people did that Not well received by users, including Elon Musk. Yesterday he wrote briefly “Use Signal” on Twitter. That was shared more than 20. 000 times within half a day and has almost 200. 000 Get likes.
Both together apparently lead to a rush on WhatsApp alternatives like Signal. Shortly after the Musks tweet, Signals’s SMS gateway was unable to send the verification codes that are required for new registrations. However, this was remedied at short notice in cooperation with various Internet services, as Signal itself reports on Twitter.
Signal not only enables end-to-end encrypted text messages, but also secure voice and video calls . Since December, Signal has also supported encrypted video group calls, i.e. those with several people at the same time. Initially up to five participants can make fully encrypted video calls, soon there will be more.
Just about any account you own on the internet is prone to being hacked. After numerous widespread breaches through the past few years, tech companies have been working together to develop a standard that would make passwords a thing of the past, replacing them with more secure methods like biometric or PIN-based logins that do not require transferring data over the internet.
But while those standards are still being adopted, the next best way to secure your accounts is two-factor authentication, or 2FA. This a process that gives web services secondary access to the account owner (you) in order to verify a login attempt. Typically, this involves a phone number and / or email address. This is how it works: when you log in to a service, you use your mobile phone to verify your identity by either clicking on a texted / emailed link or typing in a number sent by an authenticator app.
What are authenticator apps?
Authenticator apps are considered more secure than texting. They also offer flexibility when you are traveling to a place without cellular service. Popular options include Authy, Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator, or Hennge OTP (iOS only). These apps mostly follow the same procedure when adding a new account: you scan a QR code associated with your account, and it is saved in the app. The next time you log in to your service or app, it will ask for a numerical code; just open up the authenticator app to find the randomly generated code required to get past security.
While 2FA — via text, email, or an authenticator app — does not completely cloak you from potential hackers, it is an important step in preventing your account from being accessed by unauthorized users. Here’s how to enable 2FA on your accounts across the web.
Apple
Two-factor authentication is currently offered to Apple users on iOS 9 and later or macOS X El Capitan and later.
iOS
The steps are slightly different depending on how updated your iOS software is. For those using iOS 10.3 or later, you can enable 2FA on your Apple ID by going to Settings > [Your Name] > Password & Security. Turn on 2FA to receive a text message with a code each time you log in.
For those using iOS 10.2 or earlier, the settings are under iCloud > Apple ID > Password & Security.
macOS
Again, steps are slightly different depending on your version of macOS. If you’re using Catalina, click the Apple icon on the upper-left corner of your screen, then click System Preferences > Apple ID. Click on Password & Security under your name, and then select “Turn On Two-Factor Authentication.”
For Mojave and earlier, after you click the Apple icon, click System Preferences > iCloud > Account Details. (You can shorten this step a bit by typing in “iCloud” using Spotlight.) Click on Security, and you’ll see the option to turn 2FA on.
The remainder of the steps, from either iOS or Mac, are the same. You can opt for Apple to send you a six-digit verification code by text message or a phone call. You can also set up a physical security key here.
Instagram
Instagram added 2FA to its mobile app in 2017, but now you can also activate it through the web.
To activate 2FA on your mobile app, head over to your profile and click the hamburger menu on the upper-right corner. Look for “Settings” > “Security,” where you’ll find a menu item for Two-Factor Authentication.
Here, you can choose between text message-based verification or a code sent to your authentication app.
GIF by Amelia Krales / The Verge
To turn on 2FA using the web, log in and head to your profile. Next to your profile name and the Edit Profile button, there is a gear icon. Clicking this will pop open a settings menu, where you can find the same Privacy and Security section as on the app. From here, you can turn on 2FA and, just as in the app, choose your method for verification.
Clicking on the gear icon will pop open a settings menu.
Facebook
The way to access Facebook’s 2FA settings is a bit different on the app and the web (and Facebook tends to update both layouts often).
You can access your privacy settings on the mobile app on both iOS and Android by clicking the hamburger icon on the upper-right corner and scrolling down to the bottom to find the “Settings & Privacy” menu. Tap “Settings” > “Security and Login” and scroll down to “Use two-factor authentication.”
Like Instagram (they are part of the same company, after all), you can opt for a text message or an authentication app.
On the web, click the down arrow in the upper-right corner, and select “Settings & Privacy” > “Privacy Shortcuts.” Look for the “Account Security” heading and click on “Use two-factor authentication.”
Facebook lets you authenticate via text message or authentication app.
Additionally, for apps that don’t support 2FA when logging in with a Facebook account (such as Xbox and Spotify), you can generate a unique password specifically associated with that account. From the original down arrow, select “Settings & Privacy” > “Settings” and then, from the menu on the left, “Security & Login” > “App passwords” (under the “Two-Factor Authorization” subhead). After resubmitting your Facebook password, you’ll be able to name the app, click generate, and save that password for the next time you have to log in.
Twitter
On the Twitter mobile app, tap the three-line “hamburger” icon at the top left of the screen and find the “Settings and privacy” selection. Go to “Account” > “Security.” Click on “Two-factor authentication” and follow the directions.
On the web, click on “More” in the left-hand menu and find “Settings and privacy.” Click on “Security and account access” (or you can just follow this link). Select “Security” > “Two-factor authorization.”
Once you’re all set up, Twitter will either ask for verification through an authentication app, or you will text a code number to your phone number when you want to log in. Twitter has also added security key support.
As with other services mentioned above, you can generate a backup code to use when you’re traveling and will be without internet or cell service. You may also see an option to create a temporary app password that you can use to log in from other devices. This can be used to log in to third-party apps if you have them linked to your Twitter account. Note that the temporary password expires one hour after being generated.
Amazon
Go to the Amazon homepage and log in. Hover over “Accounts & Lists” and click on “Account.” A box labeled “Login & security” will be at the top of the page; click on that and then click the Edit button on “Two-Step Verification (2SV) Settings.” (You may be asked to reenter your password first.) You can also navigate directly to that page by following this link.
Click Get Started, and Amazon will walk you through the process of registering your phone number, or you can opt to use your preferred authenticator app by syncing it through a QR code.
You can activate 2FA on both the Android and iOS Amazon app by tapping the hamburger menu on the left side and finding “Your Account” > “Login & security.” The same “Two-Step Verification (2SV) Settings” selection should be available for you to edit and toggle on 2FA.
Once your phone number or authenticator app has been verified, you can select trusted devices to bypass 2FA or generate a code to log in via a mobile app.
Google
The easiest way to turn 2FA on across your Google accounts (i.e., Gmail, YouTube, or Google Maps) is by heading over to the main 2FA landing page and clicking “Get Started.” You’ll be asked to log in then select your mobile device from a list. (If you have an iPhone, you may have to download a separate app.) Google will try to send a message to that phone; if it succeeds, you will be asked to enter a phone number; you can then choose whether you want to receive verification codes by text message or phone call. Again, Google will try out your chosen method.
After that, Google will first send prompts that allow you to simply click “Yes” or “No” when a login attempt occurs. If that doesn’t work, it will send the text message or phone call.
You can also generate backup codes for offline access. Google generates 10 at a time and they’re designed to be single-use, so once you’ve successfully used one, cross it out (assuming you’ve printed them out) as it will no longer work.
Snapchat
From the app’s main camera screen, tap your profile icon and find the gear icon to access your settings. Select “Two-Factor Authentication” and choose whether to receive a text message verification or hook it up to your authenticator app.
Once 2FA has been enabled on your Snapchat account, you can add trusted devices or request a recovery code for when you’re planning to be somewhere without cellular service. Snapchat does not seem to currently support security key logins.
Slack
To enable 2FA, you’ll first need to find the Account Settings page. There are two ways to access this:
Click on your username on the upper-right corner of the Slack app to open a drop-down menu and select “View profile.” Your account information will now display on the right side of the chat window. Under your avatar and next to the “Edit Profile” button, click the three-dotted icons for additional actions, and find “Account settings.” You can also head straight to my.slack.com/account/settings
You should immediately see the selection for “Two-Factor Authentication.”
If you do not see the option for 2FA, check whether your Slack account is for work. Some employers may use single sign-on services that bypass the need for 2FA, which eliminates this from Slack’s Account Settings page.
Like most other apps, Slack lets you use either SMS or an authentication app.
If this is a personal Slack, however, then click “Expand” on “Two-Factor Authentication” to verify your information by an SMS or authenticator app. If you have multiple email addresses, you may need to select a default one before you can decide on your preferred 2FA method.
Microsoft
Log in to your Microsoft account and find the “Security settings” menu (there are several ways to get there; click on the link for the easiest). Look for the “Two-step verification” section and click on the setup link. You’ll be walked through the steps needed to use either the Microsoft Authenticator app or use a different authentication app. You’ll also be able to create passwords for apps that don’t accept 2FA.
Dropbox
From your Dropbox homepage on the web, click your profile avatar and find Settings; then go to the Security tab. Find Two-Step Verification; it will tell you the status of your 2FA. Toggle to turn the feature on and choose to receive 2FA through a text or your authenticator app.
WhatsApp
Open up WhatsApp, and find the Settings menu under the upper-right hamburger icon. Look under “Account” > “Two-step verification” > “Enable.” The app will ask you to enter a six-digit PIN to use as verification and optionally add an email address in case you forget your PIN.
Having an associated email with your WhatsApp account is important since the service won’t let you reverify yourself if you’ve used WhatsApp within the last seven days and have forgotten your PIN. So if you can’t wait a week to reverify for whatever reason, it’s helpful to have entered an email address so you can log yourself in or disable 2FA. In the same vein: be cautious of emails encouraging you to turn off 2FA if you didn’t request it yourself.
PayPal
On the main Summary page, click the gear icon and find the Security tab. Look for the section called “2-step verification” and click on the Set Up link. You’ll get a choice to have a code texted to you or use an authenticator app. (PayPal also offers to find you an authenticator app if you want one.)
If you lose your phone, change numbers, or decide to revoke authorization rights, come back to this menu to make adjustments.
Note that the interface is different if you use PayPal as a business account. From the main Summary page, click the gear icon to be taken to the Settings page. Under Login and Security, look for the Security Key option to add your phone number or a security key as your 2FA method.
Nest
Smart home products like Nest are not exempt from getting hacked — in fact, Nest now strongly encourages its users to enroll in 2FA. For Nest, make sure your app is up to date on all of your devices. Then, on the home screen, go to Settings > Account > Manage account > Account security, and select two-step verification. Toggle the switch to on. A series of prompts will ask for your password, phone number, and the verification code that will be sent to your phone.
Keep in mind that all of your devices will be automatically signed out, so you’ll have to sign in again using the two-step verification.
If all your family members don’t have their own logins and have been using yours, it’s a good idea to set them up with separate logins using Family Accounts. Otherwise, when they try to log on using two-step verification, the necessary code will be sent to your phone, not theirs.
Ring
Like with Nest, make sure your Ring app is up to date. Swipe over from the left, then go to “Account” > “Two-Factor Authentication” (you’ll find it under “Enhanced Security”). Tap the big “Turn on two-factor” button. A series of prompts will ask for your password, phone number, and the verification code that will be sent to your phone.
From then on, you’ll need both your password and an SMS verification code whenever you want to log in to Ring from a new device.
Signal
Rather than traditional 2FA, Signal uses a PIN. Click your profile icon on the upper-left side and find “Privacy.” Look for “Registration Lock” to require your PIN (which you were asked for when you originally registered) to be entered each time you re-register your phone number. Signal requires your PIN to be at least four digits long, and up to a maximum of 20 digits.
When you first enable Registration Lock, Signal will ask you to type in your PIN in the first six and 12 hours after being enabled. The company says this is designed to help you to remember it through random repetition. So after the first day, it will ask you to enter it in the next day, then in three days, and finally one last time after a full week.
If you happen to forget your PIN and can’t log in to Signal, you will have to wait seven days of inactivity for your registration lock to expire, after which you can log in to your app again to set up a new PIN. Those who are already actively using Signal won’t have to worry about the Registration Lock resetting, as that clock only starts when the app isn’t open.
Did we miss your favorite apps?
For services not listed on this guide, check out TwoFactorAuth.org to find the app or service in question. This helpful site links to every official guide for companies that support 2FA, and gives you the option to message the company on Twitter, Facebook, or email to add 2FA if it currently does not have it.
On a final note: while adding 2FA is great for an extra layer of security on all your accounts, remember that you should be changing and updating your passwords regularly even with 2FA enabled, just to stay in tip-top shape. If that’s not your style, you can also use a password manager to automatically take care of it for you.
Update January 7th, 2021: This article was originally published on June 19th, 2017, and has been checked and updated several times so that the instructions for adding 2FA to these apps remain current. This is the latest update.
WhatsApp, the messaging platform owned by Facebook, has updated its Privacy Policy. All users received a notice, saying that the service will now be sharing user data with other Facebook companies.
This comes in stark contrast with what the company initially promised back in 2014 during the acquisition by Facebook when WhatsApp assured its goal is to know “as little as possible”.
While users were able to opt out until now, starting February 8, they will have only one solution, if they don’t want their data to be owned by the parent company – uninstall the app and stop using the service.
Screenshot by XDA Developers
Some of the info WhatsApp is collecting and will be sharing includes location data, IP addresses, phone model, OS, battery level, signal strength, browser, mobile network, ISP, language, time zone, and even IMEI. There’s also the information about how you are messaging, calling, what groups you are attending, the Status, the profile photo, last time the you were online, etc.
WhatsApp even added a separate section called “Transactions and Payments data” specifying the platform will process additional information even for payments, made through the app. The company claims this is for analytics purposes, although it would provide its unique identifiers to other Facebook Companies.
The Privacy Policy is rolling out globally, however, users located in the European Union received only one bullet point in their notification. Thanks to tighter privacy legislation better known as GDPR, the WhatsApp users in 27 European countries will not have their data shared with third parties.
In the last few hours there has been a great commotion due to the update of the terms of use of WhatsApp. The popular messaging app, owned by the giant Facebook, now forces users to share their data with Facebook. Until now, users could choose whether to transfer this data to use with other companies in the group or not, but after the last update it will be mandatory. However, this will not affect users from member countries of the European Union.
These changes, which do affect users from non-EU countries , will force WhatsApp data to be shared with other Facebook companies for internal research, infrastructure improvement, customizing features and content, and of course displaying personalized advertising. In case the user does not accept these terms, they will not be able to continue using the service.
Whatsapp will not share the data of users of the European Union with Facebook
The reason for this is in the agreements that the company reached with the European Data Protection Commission and Ireland, the country where it is headquartered European WhatsApp to be able to operate in community territory complying with laws such as the GPDR.
The company assures that if in the future they make changes in this regard, they will have to be after reaching an agreement with the Irish data protection commission, so at least for now, European users can enjoy a little more privacy in our data.
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Antonio Delgado
Computer Engineer by training, editor and hardware analyst at Geeknetic since 2011. I love gutting everything that comes my way, especially the latest hardware that we get here for reviews. In my spare time I fiddle with 3d printers, drones and other gadgets. For anything here you have me.
The popular messenger service WhatsApp is changing its terms of use for the new year. Some changes affect the privacy policy. The app has been sending users various in-app notifications since Wednesday to inform them of the changes. There was always the choice of approving the new regulations immediately or postponing them until later.
The new changes come into force on February 8th. From this point onwards, users have no choice but to agree to the new conditions, otherwise the app can no longer be used. The core of the changes is the collaboration between WhatsApp and the parent company Facebook. The freedoms formulated in the terms and conditions seem to be rather broad. Specifically, it says, among other things, that the data received from users who operate their own services can be used to provide, improve, understand, individualize, support and market. Even if this function is already integrated into the app, users can currently deactivate it. From February 8, however, consent will be mandatory for the use of the app and all other services belonging to Facebook.
This is also mentioned in the terms and conditions Want to fight spam, threats, abuse and legal violations. Of course, this raises questions about end-to-end encryption, or it does not quite reveal what Facebook has in mind. It would be conceivable to display relevant advertising with corresponding keywords or the like. An indication of this is also provided by the sentence that you allow yourself “to make recommendations for you (…) and to support you in making purchases and transactions” . In the future, a direct link with the payment service Facebook Pay would also be conceivable.
Who does not If you have a problem sharing all data with the company and have already agreed to the function, Whatsapp can continue to use without hesitation. Everyone else should spend the next few weeks trying to find suitable alternatives.
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