I wonder if this will drive adoption outside of the western world. iPhones are still expensive devices but this makes them quite a bit more convenient than they were yesterday for the billions of people who use WhatsApp for most or all of their day to day communication
I applaud the sentiment (It’s not like Apple chose to do this) of allowing people to choose. I don’t see why anyone would want to put more of their data in Meta’s hands.
One could argue that using WhatsApp with E2E encrypted comms you are giving Meta less data than what you’re sharing with your current telco provider using SMS and voice calls.
Counterargument: telcos are pretty clueless about what to do with that data for commercial purposes while Meta has a sharp focus on monetization.
On Whatsapp, the content you’re sharing is encrypted i.e. the actual message. Who you’re calling/messaging, for how long and when is available to Meta.
Countercounterargument: In many countries what information Telco’s must retain and for how long is legislated, and/or what they can do with that data also. There is far less specific legislation on Meta in a lot of countries.
Honestly, a big draw to Android was the ability to make Signal my default app.
They may not want to. But when the people with whom you wish to communicate use What’sApp, you really have no other option.
Yes, I do. I can email or call. I could even send a letter. 
I don’t have to text.
If the mode of communication determines the viability of one’s relationship, it may not be much of a relationship. 
I will not use Meta products. I realize that may not be a choice for everyone, but it is one I can and I choose to exercise. 
Neither do I, but it is the choice that whole societies in Asia have made. I understand that it’s pretty darn popular in South America and Africa too.
WhatsApp is used by business too for customer support, marketing and even sending OTP!
And WhatsApp channels are a convenient way to get news as per the screenshot of my channels:
Is there an easy way to use WhatsApp on my ipad?
I don’t use it often, but sometimes I get messages on my iPhone and I see them but then they disappear from view … because I spend more time using my iPad.
I’ve used at least two of the alternatives and given up on both of them. I just use it on my iPhone / macOS and grumble about it.
Grumbling is a good strategy!
I am in Australia and most if not all my contacts communicate via Whatapp. It is what it is and if I want to stay in touch, its Whatapp which is adopted here. I dont like that its owned by Meta but it is E2EE which is some comfort but I know other than the contents of the message, everything else META knows.
Anyway, how a trillion dollar company hasnt released an iPad app is beyond me. Further, the 4 device limit is annoying. To circumvent that, I use Beeper on some devices to access Whatsapp. It works well. Obviously doesnt work with Whatsapp calls.
Meta seems to have an aversion to supporting the iPad. Look at Instagram, it’d sing on an iPad, photos on a larger screen, but Nooooooo
Apple’s “Ask Not To Track Button” costs Meta Billions. It is pure pettiness between 2 Trillion dollar companies at this point.
Meta’s refusal to support the iPad for Whatsapp or Instagram properly far predated Apple building the ATT privacy features into its browser and OS in 2021/2022.
The iPad came out in 2010, for one of the Early iOS versions you could log into Facebook (and Twitter) in the settings app on iPad to aid sharing. So Apple and Facebook were working together, but Facebook never took the extra step and between the Cambridge Analytica breach which was facilitated by lax Facebook controls and the iOS Facebook App using sound APIs to remain resident in the background contrary to the developer rules showed contempt for both users and in the latter case to Apple, and Apple Understandably created distance from them.
There are reasons for each to have animosity for the other company. They’re not even really competitors, but they’ve each created risks which have or could have affected the other company.
I don’t see it as pettiness, but it is harming the user experience from a Meta perspective
Dear Mr Civillian! Thanks for the link to beeper. I’m trying it and it seems to work well. Since it also works with twitter, I think I’ll stop checking twitter for a while, since I mostly login to make sure I don’t miss the occasional dm, and then I stsrt doom scrolling.
Clarke
I feel so respected… no one has called me Mr Civilian before lol
All good. Glad it is working for you.
It is nice having one app for a few different chat services.
Note, I am pretty sure a subscription for that app is on coming but they will also have a free plan.