WhatsApp warns that users face having their accounts permanently blocked if they download unofficial, modified versions of the app.
WhatsApp is used by more than 2.5 billion people every month, a figure that confirms it as the most prominent mobile app of the present day.
But although it's the most popular instant-messaging platform in the world, it’s not the most complete.
Modified versions of WhatsApp offer more features
Rivals such as Telegram have more functions, leading to the rising availability of third-party, modified versions of WhatsApp, such as WhatsApp Plus and GB WhatsApp, that allow users to access extra features that the official app doesn’t have.
For example, they enable WhatsApp account holders to schedule messages and create auto-replies; send a greater number of photos at the same time; and turn off the blue-tick message-receipt feature for incoming messages, while remaining able to see if others have read outgoing WhatsApps.
WhatsApp account "temporarily banned"?
If you receive a notification that your WhatsApp account has been "temporarily banned", it may be because you are using an unauthorised version of the app. If after being temporarily banned you don’t start using the official version, your account could be permanently blocked.
WhatsApp warns of security risks of using unofficial versions of app
According to WhatsApp, “Unsupported apps, such as WhatsApp Plus, GB WhatsApp, or apps that claim to move your WhatsApp chats between phones, are altered versions of WhatsApp. These unofficial apps are developed by third parties and violate our Terms of Service.”
The company also warns of the risks of downloading these unofficial apps, noting: “WhatsApp doesn't support these third-party apps because we can't validate their security practices.”
Apps such as WhatsApp Plus and GB WhatsApp can only be downloaded from unofficial sources - you won’t find them in the Google Play Store - thereby exposing users to a greater risk of malware being installed on their phone in the process. Indeed, you have to deactivate certain security settings on your Android device to be able to carry out the download.
How to change to official version of WhatsApp
You’ll find step-by-step instructions on how to switch from an unsupported version of WhatsApp to the official app on the WhatsApp website.
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