14 DAY TRIAL // WhatsApp’s super controversial privacy update has pushed millions of users to the likes of Telegram and Signal, and needless to say, these companies are more than enjoying the migration they’re recording these days.
But at the same time, they also feel more pressure than ever right now, as users expect nothing but a smooth experience from one end to another.
Signal, for example, is working on big changes for its mobile apps, and the company recently announced wallpaper support for chats.
This is a feature that has also been available elsewhere, but now Signal users can also configure a specific background for their chats.
At the same time, Signal is also introducing support for status messages and stickers, all with the purpose of making its messaging platform a little bit more familiar for those coming from WhatsApp.
The WhatsApp struggle
In the meantime, the Facebook-owned company is getting more concerned about the damage caused by its controversial privacy update, so it has recently announced its pushing back the rollout by three months.
Furthermore, WhatsApp reiterates that the new privacy policy only concerns businesses, not end users.
“We’re now moving back the date on which people will be asked to review and accept the terms. No one will have their account suspended or deleted on February 8. We're also going to do a lot more to clear up the misinformation around how privacy and security works on WhatsApp. We’ll then go to people gradually to review the policy at their own pace before new business options are available on May 15,” WhatsApp explains.
This seems to have little effect on the transition to other platforms, as both Telegram and Signal confirmed millions of new accounts in the last few weeks. The migration will probably continue as we get closer to the implementation of WhatsApp’s new privacy policy, so it’ll be interesting how many users would eventually switch to an alternative.