WhatsApp has recently updated its app to provide an upgraded multidevice feature, however, along with this update, some group users/admins are no longer able access older messages if using the app outside of their mobile phone.
Perhaps the intention here was one of security precautions. WhatsApp does love taking every possible opportunity to boast its end-to-end encryption security as far as messages are concerned. Perhaps refusing to let users access messages past a certain timeline unless they're directly using their phone is an extension of this very security. However, and I ask readers to allow this author a moment of complete candor, this is a bone-handed decision that completely tosses one of WhatsApp's most accessible features into the trash, and all for what? The ability to pat itself on the back for more additional security?
WhatsApp's multi-service accessibility is one of the best features ever introduced to the platform. The ability to go through messages and work-related items from both desktop device and mobile phones provides a large amount of accessibility and relief, especially to the likes of office workers and students. Users can easily upload large documents and files, copying and pasting information and references as they please between messages and office documents, all using one's laptop. If one's work is more desktop-intensive, such as IT security or HR, and mobile phones are only needed for non-work related chats, the multi-device feature yet again proves to be incredibly useful.
Now imagine taking such a widely used feature, happily used by so many users without complaint, and then shredding a big part of what makes it useful? That's exactly what WhatsApp has done with a single fell stroke by making older messages inaccessible from desktop devices, particularly for those users who use the app to create a group (for a single individual i.e. themselves) to take notes and upload files to use them later from any other device. If messages can't be accessed past, say, a single day, then the desktop version of WhatsApp suddenly becomes so incredibly useless app. Sure, it still has some merit in the sense that users working on desktops can more easily reply to messages. However, why WhatsApp chose to fix what very clearly wasn't broken is beyond the understanding of users who used to depend on Whatsapp for note taking and several other purposes.
If, it's a bug (which appears it's not), we hope Whatsapp will take care of it as soon as possible, and if it's a well-thought feature then it'll repel a lot of users from using the Facebook/Meta-owned messaging platform.
DIW contacted support team, and in response, Whatsapp suggested that users should separately install Whatsapp software on their Windows PC for viewing their old messages, instead of using Whatsapp Web. However, in out testing we found out that both Whatsapp Web and its PC apps are not loading all older messages. Which makes Whatsapp Web and its Windows software kind of useless utilities for group admins and users who use the app solely for uploading and storing media files, note taking and document storage.
Perhaps the intention here was one of security precautions. WhatsApp does love taking every possible opportunity to boast its end-to-end encryption security as far as messages are concerned. Perhaps refusing to let users access messages past a certain timeline unless they're directly using their phone is an extension of this very security. However, and I ask readers to allow this author a moment of complete candor, this is a bone-handed decision that completely tosses one of WhatsApp's most accessible features into the trash, and all for what? The ability to pat itself on the back for more additional security?
WhatsApp's multi-service accessibility is one of the best features ever introduced to the platform. The ability to go through messages and work-related items from both desktop device and mobile phones provides a large amount of accessibility and relief, especially to the likes of office workers and students. Users can easily upload large documents and files, copying and pasting information and references as they please between messages and office documents, all using one's laptop. If one's work is more desktop-intensive, such as IT security or HR, and mobile phones are only needed for non-work related chats, the multi-device feature yet again proves to be incredibly useful.
Now imagine taking such a widely used feature, happily used by so many users without complaint, and then shredding a big part of what makes it useful? That's exactly what WhatsApp has done with a single fell stroke by making older messages inaccessible from desktop devices, particularly for those users who use the app to create a group (for a single individual i.e. themselves) to take notes and upload files to use them later from any other device. If messages can't be accessed past, say, a single day, then the desktop version of WhatsApp suddenly becomes so incredibly useless app. Sure, it still has some merit in the sense that users working on desktops can more easily reply to messages. However, why WhatsApp chose to fix what very clearly wasn't broken is beyond the understanding of users who used to depend on Whatsapp for note taking and several other purposes.
If, it's a bug (which appears it's not), we hope Whatsapp will take care of it as soon as possible, and if it's a well-thought feature then it'll repel a lot of users from using the Facebook/Meta-owned messaging platform.
DIW contacted support team, and in response, Whatsapp suggested that users should separately install Whatsapp software on their Windows PC for viewing their old messages, instead of using Whatsapp Web. However, in out testing we found out that both Whatsapp Web and its PC apps are not loading all older messages. Which makes Whatsapp Web and its Windows software kind of useless utilities for group admins and users who use the app solely for uploading and storing media files, note taking and document storage.
