Re: Removing members from text messaging group

VanguardLH <V@nguard.lh> wrote:
[...]

Looks like WhatsApp does text (SMS), chats, and VOIP calls.  Maybe
WhatsApp could replace the OP's SMS app, and have even more
functionality.

  AFAIK, WhatsApp does not do SMS or VOIP calls to regular phones
(mobile or landline). It does IM ('chats') and voice/video calls to
other WhatsApp users. So WhatsApp would be an addition, not a
replacement for an Android SMS/MMS app.

Does WhatsApp do RCS?  Even if it does, the other half of that equation
requires a cellular carrier to also support RCS.  While the Google
Messages app on my phone supports RCS, my provider (an MVNO) does not.
I thought RCS was supposed to supercede SMS, and an alternative to
WhatsApp, but that doesn't preclude clients from having different
feature sets.

  No WhatsApp doesn't do RCS. And no, RCS is not superceding SMS, it's
an additional functionality. That is, for the US, the rest of the world
is already using WhatsApp for years and years. I never send SMS
messages. I receive SMS messages, the (very) large majority for the
second step in 2SV (if no better method is available).

How about XMPP, so WhatsApp users aren't locked into just chatting with
other WhatsApp users?  I never got into chatting (P2P), because the chat
clients only connect with with other users of the same chat app, and
using XMPP seemed like the Rain Man of chat protocols.  Plus, like my
true e-mail address that I protect using reply-able aliases (replies to
aliases don't expose the real e-mail address), I don't like publishing
my phone number which then makes it a target for spammers and
malcontents.

  Interoperability between different IM platforms is one of the issues
the EU (Euopean Union) is working on and being a main platform, WhatsApp
will be required to interoperate with other IM platforms. However that
is future, not present.

  As to 'publishing' your phone number. We don't have any spammers, etc.
here (The Netherlands), because it's illegal here and it's probably the
same in most of Europe. Phone spamming seems to be mostly a US thing.

  Anyway, your WhatsApp 'number' doesn't have to be your main phone
number. Any number you 'own' will do and only needs to be used once in a
while (for verification). The 'phone number' is actually just an
identifier. For example in some cases it can be a landline number and I
used WhatsApp on a SIM-less tablet and can use it on my (SIM-less)
laptop.

This looks interesting for WhatsApp:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/zakdoffman/2024/08/20/forget-iphone-16-and-ios-18-whatsapp-update-should-stop-you-using-rcs/
 
But I wonder if a username for yourself in WhatsApp is only accessible
to other WhatsApp users.  Other users won't know by your WhatsApp
username what is your phone number to contact you via SMS or RCS.

  Interesting development for the concerns you raised. As I said, in our
experience it hasn't been a problem, but additional security/privacy
can't hurt.