In case you missed it, almost everyone around the world is considering dropping the “encrypted messaging app” WhatsApp because of its serious vulnerability problem. Apparently, the app was found to be compromised by malicious spying applications being installed without the users noticing that has made many terrified and upset.
WhatsApp recently announced its new terms whereby its users would have to accept the way the app is sharing everyone’s personal information with Facebook by February 8.
This includes your contacts, device information, location, and many more. The users who don’t accept the new terms would no longer be able to use its services. Seems like a threat, no?
Pável Dúrov, co-founder of Telegram ensures its users that Telegram features secret end-to-end chats and cloud chats that also offer real-time security and cloud storage.
“WhatsApp, on the other hand, had no encryption for a few years and then adopted an encryption protocol funded by the US government. Even if we assume that WhatsApp’s encryption is strong, it is invalidated through multiple back doors and reliance on backups,” he explained.
Given the new changes in WhatsApp, many have decided to switch from WhatsApp to Telegram or Signal for better privacy management.
That said, Telegram announced its newest import feature in order to make the transition easy. Users will be able to transfer their old text messages from WhatsApp to Telegram without any hassle if they’re planning to switch to the app for good.
Everyone can bring their chat history – including videos and documents – to Telegram from apps like WhatsApp, Line, and KakaoTalk. This works both for individual chats and groups as well.
This new feature is available for both iOS and Android devices. Here’s how you can make the switch.
iOS device
Those using an iOS device would have to simply open the Contact Info or Group Info page in WhatsApp. Over there you will see Export Chat as an option. When the Share menu pops up, make sure you select the Telegram app to get the messages imported instantly.
Android device
Whereas on an Android device, it works similarly to iOS. Just open up the WhatsApp chat you’re planning to transfer and tap the three dots on the top right of the screen and tap More. From there, the option for Export Chat should appear. Once you’ve chosen that, just tap on Telegram in the Share menu and the app would process your WhatsApp chats.
As soon as the transfer is completed, do note that your WhatsApp chats can’t be assigned to the exact date they occurred. However, it will include their original timestamps that were initially sent on WhatsApp. If you imported messages from a group chat, all members of the chat on Telegram will see the messages.
On top of that, this new feature doesn’t require extra space as Telegram is known for its cloud storage even though if your device is running out of space. All you have to do is clear up the cache on the app and voilà, more space.
What makes Telegram more reliable as an app is that “Your data is your business” which is why Telegram users can not only export their chats but also delete messages they send and receive for both sides – without a trace.
With this update, you get even more control: secret chats, groups you created, and call history can now also be deleted for all sides at any time.