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Google can now read your WhatsApp messages

(www.neowin.net)
469 points bundie | 13 comments | 08 Jul 25 16:11 UTC | HN request time: 1.727s | source | bottom
1. saidinesh5 ◴[08 Jul 25 17:49 UTC] No.44502341[source]▶
Not exactly related, but does anyone know what's the best way to backup WhatsApp data on an Android phone without using Google drive these days?
replies(2): >>44502388 #>>44503936 #
2. ilpianista ◴[08 Jul 25 17:54 UTC] No.44502388[source]▶
I use Syncthing to backup WA and Signal
replies(1): >>44502589 #
3. amlib ◴[08 Jul 25 18:17 UTC] No.44502589[source]▶
But isn't it quite useless to backup WA when it's all encrypted and you can't backup the key?
replies(1): >>44503749 #
4. ilpianista ◴[08 Jul 25 20:24 UTC] No.44503749{3}[source]▶
The backup key is shown the first time you enable encryption.
replies(2): >>44503901 #>>44504872 #
5. fransje26 ◴[08 Jul 25 20:42 UTC] No.44503901{4}[source]▶
Would you happen to have good resources detailing the process?
replies(1): >>44504947 #
6. abdullahkhalids ◴[08 Jul 25 20:48 UTC] No.44503936[source]▶
There is a WhatsApp folder on your phone, which contains the database of messages. You can just backup the entire folder by any standard backup method, including copy pasting.
7. amlib ◴[08 Jul 25 23:14 UTC] No.44504872{4}[source]▶
I guess they've changed this in the last 2 years or so because last time I checked they kept your key hostage and only allowed transferring all data, including the key, to a new phone.
replies(1): >>44504921 #
8. ilpianista ◴[08 Jul 25 23:24 UTC] No.44504921{5}[source]▶
I'm using this method since 2020 or even before. I've never ever enabled the backup on GDrive.
replies(1): >>44505146 #
9. ilpianista ◴[08 Jul 25 23:28 UTC] No.44504947{5}[source]▶
Pretty much what I summarized back in 2019: https://scarpino.dev/posts/automated-phone-backup-with-synct...

Nowayadays Syncthing is no more maintained due to some PlayStore drama, but Syncthing-Fork is a good replacement.

replies(2): >>44507903 #>>44519691 #
10. amlib ◴[09 Jul 25 00:09 UTC] No.44505146{6}[source]▶
Is your phone rooted?
replies(1): >>44506504 #
11. ilpianista ◴[09 Jul 25 05:11 UTC] No.44506504{7}[source]▶
No, it isn't.
12. fransje26 ◴[09 Jul 25 09:26 UTC] No.44507903{6}[source]▶
I'll start from there, thanks!
13. saidinesh5 ◴[10 Jul 25 11:16 UTC] No.44519691{6}[source]▶
Thank you for this. Just adding this here:

There seems to be an issue with recent Android apis that make file access painfully slow that it wasn't able to sync my data in 1 full day. Enabling the "Case Sensitive FS" option on the folder helped a lot.

https://github.com/Catfriend1/syncthing-android/issues/1088#...