{
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  "path": "/t/if-not-able-to-stop-using-whatsapp-how-important-is-it-to-download-it-from-the-play-store-vs-whatsapps-website-itself/38435#post_12",
  "publishedAt": "2026-06-10T14:40:53.000Z",
  "site": "https://discuss.privacyguides.net",
  "tags": [
    "issues reported with Whatsapp working (on setups without Play Services)",
    "Play Store version",
    "Website APK version",
    "https://discuss.grapheneos.org/d/35940-whatsapp-not-working-anymore/64",
    "https://discuss.grapheneos.org/d/35940-whatsapp-not-working-anymore/66",
    "https://discuss.grapheneos.org/d/32377-whatsapp-messages-do-not-arrive-until-i-open-app/10",
    "https://discuss.grapheneos.org/d/35940-whatsapp-not-working-anymore/68"
  ],
  "textContent": "I have the website-install through Obtainium, also am in the situation of “associates not wanting to migrate to more-private alternatives”.\n\nSome things before beginning, I am not sure whether or not most these are differences between the two ways of obtaining apps. I am but the humble user of this setup who’s gathered some information along the way.\n\n**Info is going to be GrapheneOS oriented.**\n\nCertain differences between the two:\n\n  * They have different verification info.\n\n  * There has been issues reported with Whatsapp working (on setups without Play Services) on the newer versions\n\n\n\n\nUnfortunately, someone would have to test for these more finer-grained differences between the two. I am not willing to shut out these to-be listed things working or not working (advantages / disadvantages) with the information I have on the Google Play or Aurora Store versions of the app.\n\nTo start, I’m going to share some of the advantages from the point of view of the setup I have and see as positives (and negatives) from both-ish sides of the coin:\n\nPositive\n\n  * Automatic updates work through Obtainium.\n\n  * I can, today, use the website APK without having Google Play Services installed, **and have notifications working.**\n\n  * If I only have Whatsapp relying on Google Play Services, this way I can for certain wholly drop Play Services.\n\n  * I won’t have to rely on other methods of updating Whatsapp than Obtainium.\n\n  * I am be able to get the app straight from the developer.\n\n  * One less app from Googles offering. (Aurora Store, Play Store)\n\n  * I need only add one app, Whatsapp, to the list “privacy invasive apps” to worry about.\n\n  * App stores are easier to work with.\n\n  * With app stores, Whatsapp just works straight out of the box. (if using Play Services)\n\n\n\n\n_Might want to research the negatives and positives of a Whatsapp install from an app store a bit more._\n\nNegative\n\n  * Aurora Store accounts might have beta enabled software, and that might break things.\n\n  * Having had to scour for bits of information and figure stuff out for myself, it was somewhat of a hassle to find and build a working tutorial at how to exactly get everything working.\n\n  * Local WhatsApp backups without Google were kinda annoying.\n\n  * The slight uncertainty I have of this setup working in the long term.\n\n\n\n\nPeople have said in the past, that there’s no private way of using Whatsapp. I think cutting Google Play Services out of the equation has to make the package needed to use Whatsapp more private. As such, I think there are ways of using Whatsapp more privately.\n\nTo make clear of not being all-in-for Meta-owned software, it is after all good to keep in mind that WhatsApp collects a lot of metadata of the user and it is not intented, or designed to be Signal. The saviours it has are E2EE, massive adoption, convenience.\n\nAlways would be best is if magic happens and you manage to get everyone in your life on board the Signal train (｡•̀ᴗ-)✧\n\n**Some resources you might find helpful:**\n\nVerification info between the two:\n\nPlay Store version, Website APK version\n\nObtainium setup,\nhttps://discuss.grapheneos.org/d/35940-whatsapp-not-working-anymore/64\nhttps://discuss.grapheneos.org/d/35940-whatsapp-not-working-anymore/66\n\nGrapheneOS specific Whatsapp setup without G P S (people have written more step-by-steps on the forum but this is what I used)\n\nhttps://discuss.grapheneos.org/d/32377-whatsapp-messages-do-not-arrive-until-i-open-app/10\n\nWith the guide they didn’t mention of crashes, so if you don’t want to experience those, hardened memory allocator has to be off.\n\nhttps://discuss.grapheneos.org/d/35940-whatsapp-not-working-anymore/68\n\nYou’ll find more information on the topic if you search “whatsapp” on GrapheneOS forum!",
  "title": "If not able to stop using WhatsApp, how important is it to download it from the Play Store vs WhatsApp's website itself?"
}