WhatsApp will block users who are using unofficial versions of the app, though this is being referred to as a temporary ban by the company. WhatsApp has put out a detailed FAQ on its website, where it has mentioned steps for users to migrate from unofficial like GB WhatsApp and WhatsApp Plus to the official Android app so they can have their accounts restored.
WABetainfo has said that WhatsApp has listed the steps in details. WABetainfor regularly posts updates about the upcoming features in the messaging app, most of which is accurate. According to the post, WhatsApp is banning unofficial apps because the company cannot validate its security practices.
“WhatsApp cares deeply about the safety of our users. To protect the privacy and security of their account, we strongly recommend users only download WhatsApp from official app stores or from our website. We are continuing to step up our enforcement against imposter WhatsApp services to help curb abuse and keep WhatsApp users safe,” said a WhatsApp spokesperson in a statement, as reported by The Indian Express.
WhatsApp has also provided a FAQ link, which has listed out details about the temporarily banned accounts and how to fix the problem.
According to the page, the users of the unofficial apps might receive an in-app message stating that their account is “Temporarily banned”. The post explains that if a user receives this message, it means they are on an unofficial app.
WhatsApp also says that these unofficial apps are violating the terms of services that the company holds.
We may not issue a warning before banning your account. If you think your account was banned by mistake, please email us and we’ll look into your case,” says the page on banning of accounts.
WhatsApp has published a new FAQ that helps the user to switch from GB WhatsApp and WhatsApp Plus (unsupported WhatsApp applications) to the official WhatsApp app.
WhatsApp says it's important to remove modified WA apps because they can't validate their security practices.— WABetaInfo (@WABetaInfo) March 7, 2019
WhatsApp has listed steps in its post for users who would like to have their accounts restored when migrating to the official app. The FAQ further mentions the Whatsapp Plus and GB WhatsApp, which are likely two of the most used altered versions of the official app.
WhatsApp adds that these apps are not official and the company cannot validate the security practices of these apps. Moreover, these apps are developed by third parties and violate WhatsApp’s Terms of Service.
Users who want to switch to the official WhatsApp app need to have their data backed up. WhatsApp is recommending that users on any app other than WhatsApp Plus or GB WhatsApp, should save their chat history downloading the official app.
WhatsApp further adds that it can not ensure the success of chat history transfer, as it does not support unofficial apps.
The users who are looking forward to migrating to the official app need to wait for the temporary ban to end. The timer will show them the length of the ban.
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