For several years WhatsApp has been a favorite communication media for me. I could send pics, video or call home when out of the country. Furthermore, I could stay in touch with my friends and outfitters around the globe at no charge/cost.
Now big tech has arrived and they control WhatsApp. Recently, I spoke with a friend PH in Zimbabwe. I received text messages afterward telling me I would be charged for this phone call and viola! Comes my bill and it's $96 USD and change. Trying to speak to a human at Verizon is a joke. They push you through a dog and pony show, send you a "live chat" link that "has expired" and you get no where. So, it your using WhatsApp to make International calls, expect it to be on your next cell phone bill. I hate big tech more each day.
Oh yeah, before I forget; now they want to "update" you often. They're actually downloading your searches and personal data. Just an FYI.

I wonder if this is true for AT&T?

quote:

Originally posted by jdollar:
I wonder if this is true for AT&T?

It is Facebook doing.

WhatsApp and Instagram have gone downhill since Zuckerberg bought them.

Absolutely Saeed, since two days ago, each time I attempt to open WhatsApp, I am prompted to "Install the latest version via Google Play." I'm not installing anything off Google Play and will be searching to replace WhatsApp ASAP. If Zuckerberg touches it, it becomes sewage.

Anyone know a good alternative??

You can make "Telegram " as a replacement. Phone call through it as well.

What I really never understood was why did the regulators allow FB to buy either WA or IG!

They are competing products.

quote:

Originally posted by L. David Keith:
Absolutely Saeed, since two days ago, each time I attempt to open WhatsApp, I am prompted to "Install the latest version via Google Play." I'm not installing anything off Google Play and will be searching to replace WhatsApp ASAP. If Zuckerberg touches it, it becomes sewage.

Facebook hates Apple.

Apple is installing an update that will give you the option of stopping FB tracking you.

Apparently they are doing it through other apps people use, who do not use FB.

East Germany's Stazi have nothing on Zukerberg!

quote:

Originally posted by L. David Keith:
For several years WhatsApp has been a favorite communication media for me. I could send pics, video or call home when out of the country. Furthermore, I could stay in touch with my friends and outfitters around the globe at no charge/cost.
Now big tech has arrived and they control WhatsApp. Recently, I spoke with a friend PH in Zimbabwe. I received text messages afterward telling me I would be charged for this phone call and viola! Comes my bill and it's $96 USD and change. Trying to speak to a human at Verizon is a joke. They push you through a dog and pony show, send you a "live chat" link that "has expired" and you get no where. So, it your using WhatsApp to make International calls, expect it to be on your next cell phone bill. I hate big tech more each day.
Oh yeah, before I forget; now they want to "update" you often. They're actually downloading your searches and personal data. Just an FYI.

whatsapp calling is free

https://faq.whatsapp.com/andro...-voice-call/?lang=en

you just used your data on the mobile phone. should have used wifi.

Mike

I have used WhatsApp while driving (New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, South Dakota. Utah, Oregon, Washington, California, Arizona) in the past talking to PH's in Zimbabwe and South Africa.

Granted this was in the past two years. I have not made a WhatsApp call this year. I have nothing in the books for hunting and with the conventions not taking place there has been no reason for a call to make plans helping African friends work their booths.

however I have just down loaded a new program called signal and I have only used it to send messages. I have not used the phone feature at this time. Only a few of the African PH's that I have phone numbers for are using the format.

Whatsapp is free.

All which is required is internet data (which you would pay for anyway) or hook up totally free on to a Wi-Fi link which is offered in airports, hotels and most cafes.

I have never been charged for messaging, normal calls or even video-calls nor has it really impacted my data usage any more than normal other than when watching Netflix or YouTube.

Free international calls

WhatsApp uses your phone’s cellular or Wi-Fi connection to facilitate messaging and voice calling to nearly anyone on the planet, alone or in a group, and is especially nice for families and small collaborative workgroups. The app lets you make calls, and send and receive messages, documents, photos, and videos. WhatsApp is completely free — with no fees or subscriptions — because it uses your phone’s 5G, 4G, 3G, 2G, EDGE, or Wi-Fi connection instead of your cell plan’s voice minutes or text plan. If you’re connected via Wi-Fi, it won’t eat into your data plan either. Its popularity is sustained by its support for worldwide free calling, even if the people chatting are not in the same country.

WhatsApp is platform agnostic. You do not need to own the same brand of phone as your call recipient or be on a specific platform — the app works with iPhone and Android phones and Mac or Windows desktop or laptop computers, which you can use to send and receive messages, but not make calls. Like any other SMS messenger, you can initiate a conversation with an individual or a group and video chat with up to eight people. The iOS version also has in-app support for video playback from both Instagram and Facebook. You can also share your location, broadcast your status to your contacts, share contacts, set customized wallpapers and notification alerts, email chat history, use the camera to shoot photos and videos from within the app, and simultaneously broadcast messages to multiple contacts. You are always logged in so you never miss messages, but even if you miss notifications while your phone is off, the app saves recent messages for when you re-open the app.

quote:

whatsapp calling is free

https://faq.whatsapp.com/andro...-voice-call/?lang=en

you just used your data on the mobile phone. should have used wifi.

Mike

Mike, yes, in the past it was free, whether I called from Africa or here at home in the USA. Recently, I called Zim from my home, using my cell on WiFi. My bill is nearly $100 including their "fees." Attempting to speak with a live person was a circle jerk. A link was sent to me to enter Live Chat. The link was dead. Multiple attempts to reach Verizon went no where. Nothing was different about this call other than being charged for it. I've attempted to d/l Telegram before and it wasn't working. I'll try again. LDK

quote:

Originally posted by L. David Keith:

quote:

whatsapp calling is free

https://faq.whatsapp.com/andro...-voice-call/?lang=en

you just used your data on the mobile phone. should have used wifi.

Mike

Mike, yes, in the past it was free, whether I called from Africa or here at home in the USA. Recently, I called Zim from my home, using my cell on WiFi. My bill is nearly $100 including their "fees." Attempting to speak with a live person was a circle jerk. A link was sent to me to enter Live Chat. The link was dead. Multiple attempts to reach Verizon went no where. Nothing was different about this call other than being charged for it. I've attempted to d/l Telegram before and it wasn't working. I'll try again. LDK

Something is fishy beyond WhatsApp. I would go to a Verizon store. They will probably ask you to get on their service number and I would do it from the store in front of a Verizon person.

Good luck.

Mike

Facebook tracks you even when your offline. Friends, this video shows how to turn off tracking via Facebook even if your not online. The example is an I-phone but you can follow with an Android. Just follow the instructions and if you need to search longer on Android, it will show you how to turn off this tracking. Also, duckduckGo is a search engine that prevents being tracked online. Do I believe all of this? Hell no, it's probably another goat roping to lure users into a state of euphoria but maybe it will help reduce spam just a little. LDK
Turn off Facebook tracking

Thanks Mike, that's my intention tomorrow. Verizon attempted to charge me once before but I advised them I used WhatsApp and wasn't using their service. They never bothered me again until recently. I think they're trying to scam me.

There is a Silicon Valley saying “when the product is free - you (the consumer) is the product.”

Mike

Can you use WhatsApp internationally for free?

You can use WhatsApp internationally for free with Wi-Fi; depending on your cellular plan, you may incur international charges for using cellular data on WhatsApp. To preclude international data fees, you can turn roaming off on your phone and still use Wi-Fi.Jan 30, 2020

Voice calling lets you call your contacts using WhatsApp for free, even if they're in another country. Voice calling uses your phone's internet connection rather than your mobile plan's minutes. Data charges may apply.

How to make a voice call - WhatsApp FAQ

I'm recommending SIGNAL. Easy to use as WA.

Mark

Why not use an iPhone and just use the audio-only facetime call?

And when you do, put it on airplane mode and just turn wifi on...

quote:

Originally posted by BaxterB:
Why not use an iPhone and just use the audio-only facetime call?

And when you do, put it on airplane mode and just turn wifi on...

I think the other person has to have an iPhone as well for Facetime.

I used WhatsApp last month to make international calls. No additional charges on my AT&T bill.

quote:

I'm recommending SIGNAL. Easy to use as WA.
Mark

Not familiar with Signal Mark, but I'll check into it.

quote:

Originally posted by jdollar:
Anyone know a good alternative??

How about an email? I think we all did fine communicating before Facebook or Whatsapp.

Why does anyone in our demographic still support Facebook or Twitter?

WhatsApp was great when I had a girlfriend in Argentina. FaceTime audio works fine if connected. I used Viber to talk to my Ukrainian girlfriend. We are lucky to have these free, or once free, options.

quote:

Originally posted by Steve Ahrenberg:

quote:

Originally posted by jdollar:
Anyone know a good alternative??

How about an email? I think we all did fine communicating before Facebook or Whatsapp.

Why does anyone in our demographic still support Facebook or Twitter?

How about an email? Sure beats when we ‘d send a Telex or letter by airmail and you’d hear back from your PH a month or more later. Or when you’d call and reach them on their party line and others would cut into your conversation.

quote:

How about an email? Sure beats when we ‘d send a Telex or letter by airmail and you’d hear back from your PH a month or more later. Or when you’d call and reach them on their party line and others would cut into your conversation.

Sure seems you remember the "good old days" when the only fast way of relaying information was via telegram.

quote:

Originally posted by fulvio:
...

Sure seems you remember the "good old days" when the only fast way of relaying information was via telegram.

Actually, Telegram is another alternative to WhatsApp. Better security as well.

quote:

Actually, Telegram is another alternative to WhatsApp. Better security as well.

Telegrams were never for free, in fact they were probably the most expensive means of accelerated messaging of yesteryear.

Fulvio,

This Telegram is an instant messaging service like WA.

Mark

quote:

Originally posted by MARK H. YOUNG:
Fulvio,

This Telegram is an instant messaging service like WA.

Mark

I think so.

I understand it is much better at sending videos.

WA limits one to roughly 90 seconds of HD video.

Telegram apparently let you send a video of up 1.5GB!

quote:

Originally posted by MARK H. YOUNG:
Fulvio,

This Telegram is an instant messaging service like WA.

Mark

I think so.

I understand it is much better at sending videos.

WA limits one to roughly 90 seconds of HD video.

Before the takeover by FB it used to be double that.

Telegram apparently let you send a video of up 1.5GB!

Signal had 7.5 million people upload it in a 4 day period in mid January. Just saying!

Mark

quote:

Originally posted by DLS:

quote:

Originally posted by Steve Ahrenberg:

quote:

Originally posted by jdollar:
Anyone know a good alternative??

How about an email? I think we all did fine communicating before Facebook or Whatsapp.

Why does anyone in our demographic still support Facebook or Twitter?

How about an email? Sure beats when we ‘d send a Telex or letter by airmail and you’d hear back from your PH a month or more later. Or when you’d call and reach them on their party line and others would cut into your conversation.

Yet another reason to use a qualified booking agent. I VERY rarely communicate with a PH or outfitter prior arrival.

I never once communicated with Wayne Grant before meeting him at the Bukoba airfield in Tanzania.

I know what to bring, what to pack and what I'm hunting.

quote:

Originally posted by Steve Ahrenberg:
...

Yet another reason to use a qualified booking agent. I VERY rarely communicate with a PH or outfitter prior arrival.

I never once communicated with Wayne Grant before meeting him at the Bukoba airfield in Tanzania.

I know what to bring, what to pack and what I'm hunting.

In the past that might be true. But now, in the age of Internet and digital phones it makes more sense to deal with the outfitters directly rather than through a third party. Less lag time on answers especially in regards to logistics.

Now, there are instances that an outfitter makes sense. For my driven pheasant hunt in Scotland this coming October I am working with an outfitter that has made arrangements with 6 different properties for each day. It would not make sense to get a group together and negotiate each day's hunt with the owner of each property.

quote:

Originally posted by tanks:

quote:

Originally posted by Steve Ahrenberg:
...

Yet another reason to use a qualified booking agent. I VERY rarely communicate with a PH or outfitter prior arrival.

I never once communicated with Wayne Grant before meeting him at the Bukoba airfield in Tanzania.

I know what to bring, what to pack and what I'm hunting.

In the past that might be true. But now, in the age of Internet and digital phones it makes more sense to deal with the outfitters directly rather than through a third party. Less lag time on answers especially in regards to logistics.

Now, there are instances that an outfitter makes sense. For my driven pheasant hunt in Scotland this coming October I am working with an outfitter that has made arrangements with 6 different properties for each day. It would not make sense to get a group together and negotiate each day's hunt with the owner of each property.

I get that. My only point is why is this particular demographic supporting soy boy shills like Zuckerburg and Dorsey?

Those two are antithetical to everything we enjoy. Supporting them by using their platforms is insanity.

What we need right now is a DOJ and SEC that will tackle and break up these monopolistic companies.

Tear off their tentacles and shrink them down to size.

If you go to the comparison link Saeed posted, the choice is obvious. Signal is a non profit 501 c using open source code. They essentially allow NO DATA SHARING and aren’t in it to make money. Took me less than 10 minutes to down and link my iPhone and IPad after downloading the free app.

quote:

Originally posted by MARK H. YOUNG:
Fulvio,

This Telegram is an instant messaging service like WA.

Mark

Mark,

We elderly "seniors" who lived through the era of dial-up phones, and telex machines, remember a telegram as a hand delivered note with strips of text pasted on which was hand delivered to the recipient.

quote:

Originally posted by Steve Ahrenberg:

quote:

Originally posted by tanks:

quote:

Originally posted by Steve Ahrenberg:
...

Yet another reason to use a qualified booking agent. I VERY rarely communicate with a PH or outfitter prior arrival.

I never once communicated with Wayne Grant before meeting him at the Bukoba airfield in Tanzania.

I know what to bring, what to pack and what I'm hunting.

In the past that might be true. But now, in the age of Internet and digital phones it makes more sense to deal with the outfitters directly rather than through a third party. Less lag time on answers especially in regards to logistics.

Now, there are instances that an outfitter makes sense. For my driven pheasant hunt in Scotland this coming October I am working with an outfitter that has made arrangements with 6 different properties for each day. It would not make sense to get a group together and negotiate each day's hunt with the owner of each property.

I get that. My only point is why is this particular demographic supporting soy boy shills like Zuckerburg and Dorsey?

Those two are antithetical to everything we enjoy. Supporting them by using their platforms is insanity.

I 100% Steve. I am struggling with this very issue.