WhatsApp ‘bug lets OTHER people read your texts’ – even if you’re complete strangers
BAD CHAT
WhatsApp ‘bug lets OTHER people read your texts’ – even
if you’re complete strangers
This is seriously terrifying...
By Sean Keach, Digital Technology and Science Editor
Updated: 15th January 2019, 9:55 pm
A WHATSAPP user has claimed that she's able to see
someone else's messages in her own app.
The alleged bug means a random person's private texts may
have been exposed to a complete stranger.
This particular fail was spotted by Abby Fuller, an
Amazon employee who works at the company's Amazon Web Services division.
She complained about the bug on Twitter, saying
"this doesn't seem right".
"Logged into WhatsApp with a new phone number today
and the message history from the previous number's owner was right there?!
"And now I'm wondering how many other times it's
happened? Like does whoever has my old number now have MY WhatsApp
history?"
A Twitter user has complained that WhatsApp is showing
her messages sent and received by someone else
Fellow Twitter users were quick to bombard her with
questions – to see if she'd done something wrong, or to work out an
explanation.
She replied: "Yes it was a new device. No it wasn't
second hand. It was not a second-hand SIM."
"Yes I'm sure they weren't my messages, or groups
that I was added to.
"Yes they were in plaintext. I am sure it's my phone
number. It was not restored from a backup," Fuller added.
For now, this appears to be an isolated incident – no one
else seems to have complained about a similar gaffe.
But it's seriously worrying if people who take your old
number are able to access your message history.
We've asked WhatsApp for comment and will update this
story with any response.
How to change your WhatsApp phone number correctly
Here's the official advice...
Changing your phone number
To change your phone number in WhatsApp, follow these
steps:
1. Insert the new
SIM card with the new number into your device.
2. Open WhatsApp.
3. Check if your
old phone numberis currently verified. You can see what number is verified in
WhatsApp by navigating to WhatsApp > Menu Button > Settings and tapping
on your profile photo.
4. Go to WhatsApp
> Menu Button > Settings > Account > Change number.
5. Enter your old
phone number in the top box.
6. Enter your new
phone number in the bottom box.
7. Tap Done at
the top of the screen.
8. You will be
prompted to verify your new phone number.
WhatsApp was recently accused of creating another bug on
the app too.
A number of users have complained that WhatsApp has been
mysteriously deleting their messages – seemingly at random.
Some users report the glitch is killing off messages from
2015 or earlier, while others claim chats from last year are vanishing.
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