Wednesday 29 October 2014

Got banned in Whatsapp

Whatsapp might lock up Mitakuuluu or Whatsup users from their service 

What can you do if you receive “Your number ... is no longer allowed to use our service” -message after using Mitakuuluu [add: or Whatsup ] on Jolla? Most of the users didn't know they're using an unofficial client. How to get the ban removed:

Update, November 2014: Mitakuuluu project closed
Update, August 2015: Whatsup project faces issues as well

Got banned in Whatsapp after using Mitakuuluu or Whatsup on Jolla?


Worth a read? Please share:


Update, August 5, 2015:

Additional to previously closed Mitakuuluu project, we have sad news to share regarding another unofficial client Whatsup:

Whatsup developer has been contacted by a lawyer, and the developer has decided to sign himself off from maintaining the application. As this is an issue regarding use of any unofficial clients, Whatsup users might soon experience what Mitakuuluu users experienced before.

While Whatsapp seems to be busy trying to close up already a 2nd Sailfish OS client, they seem not that busy with offering Sailfish OS users an official client. The sentence
Almost five years ago we started WhatsApp with a simple mission: building a cool product used globally by everybody.
doesn't seem to match for Sailors, and due to this, the advises shared in the original post below might soon be useful to Whatsup users as well.


Update, November 10, 2014:

A tweet we all would rather not to see was shared today:


Original post, October 29, 2014:

Let's hope that Mitakuuluu, which is indeed a great Sailfish OS client of Whatsapp, get's authorization and an official client status from Whatsapp team one day soon. Until that, please avoid using it and install Android app on your Jolla instead.

Whatsapp has started to ban the phone numbers of Mitakuuluu app users. This complies with their rule:
6. Using an automated system or an unauthorized / unofficial client application to send messages through WhatsApp.
Mitakuuluu users who didn't know that this app isn't authorized or granted an official client status by Whatsapp, can follow these steps to try to remove the ban:

  1. Uninstall Mitakuuluu from your phone
  2. Install official Android Whatsapp instead
  3. Register in the Android app. If you still receive the same message:
  4. Contact Whatsapp and just tell them about this message. You don't need to mention anything else, but if they ask, just reply honestly that you're registered with an Android app and thought you've been using only authorized clients so far as well.
  5. If you're asked to contact via the official client, you do that via Android Whatsapp, using Android email (for example K9 works, email app needs to be installed separately)
More at Whatsapp FAQ

Mitakuuluu users who knew they are using an unofficial client but didn't read the rules too carefully should either accept the ban or send a sincere apology to the Whatsapp team, kindly ask if the ban could be removed.

Other options

Whatsapp, the world's most used IM service and currently property of Facebook,  might be ignoring to authorize a SailfishOS client while Jolla is still a small startup company. But what I'd really like to use for chatting would be RICOCHET client for SailfishOS, hope we'll get this on one day. Read about the developer who's also been coding other stuff at Jolla

Community efforts to gain official status for Mitakuuluu, suggested at TJC


For further actions, please join the discussion here:
 https://together.jolla.com/question/61619/how-to-gain-official-status-for-mitakuuluu-whatsapp-client/


Worth a read? Please share:


By: Review Jolla
Published: 2014-10-29 10:25 UTC
Updated: 2015-08-05 06:00 UTC

21 comments:

  1. Telegram master race

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. sadly no native sailfish telegram app...

      Delete
    2. Look at sailorgram in openrepos. For basic chattings works prettu well, and has a fast development :)

      Delete
  2. Well this escalated quickly! It's a shame they ban users who may not even know they are violating rules. This will just make people angry and this is mainly bad for users of Jolla who thought their phone "just works" but this might be too much.
    Whatsapp shouldn't have an "open source" -link on their website if they forbid the use of open source technologies. This saddens me.

    ReplyDelete
  3. As there is no official or authorized client for sailfish they should have allowed the use of mitakuuluu or any other third party client otherwise they should provide a working authorized client in Jolla Stores

    ReplyDelete
  4. Is there any fear that tweetian and friends could be banned too ?????

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Apps available at Jolla Store are authorized clients, both of these are ok

      Delete
  5. Simo, care to mention client names ? I tried searching "whatsapp" and no results.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The unofficial client Mitakuuluu is not available at Jolla Store, but it's easy to find in the web

      Delete
  6. I downloaded K9 and still saying you may not have email in your phone.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Did you add an email account there? And did you try after reboot?

      Delete
    2. Everything works OK now :)

      Delete
    3. Nice :) What was the fix for the email issue finally?

      Delete
  7. Wrote a mail using K9 and official whatsappclient on friday.
    Got mail today saying:
    "Hi,

    Your WhatsApp account was banned because you violated our Terms of Services and were using an unauthorized application and/or unsupported device. At this time we have decided under our own discretion, to unban your account. We appreciate you downloading the official application and using a supported device.

    Should we determine that your actions continue to violate our Terms of Service, your account will again be banned. There will be no possibility of an appeal.

    Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

    XXXXX

    WhatsApp Support Team

    Interested in translating for us? Please visit our website.

    Take a look at our FAQ."

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous: "Wrote a mail using K9 and official whatsappclient"...
      Great! And thanks a lot for sharing this, it'll help many. DIT!

      Delete
    2. Interesting. I got mail today:

      "Hi,

      Sorry, Jolla is not a supported device for WhatsApp Messenger. We have no further information to give out at this time.

      Best

      WhatsApp Support Team

      Interested in translating for us? Please visit our website.

      Take a look at our FAQ."

      Delete
    3. Odd answer, but what was the question they answered to with that? Anyway, Whatsapp doesn't have a public list of supported devices - they have a list of supported operating systems, Android being one of those

      Official Android application is definitely supported, on whatever Android platform it runs. For example in China, millions of phone users have different AOSP's installed on their phones, similar to the Alien Dalvik selected by Jolla as their Android layer.

      If Whatsapp team plans to lock Jolla owners because of Alien Dalvik in use, they must/should be locking all these millions of users. Alien Dalvik is an official Android project by Myriad.

      Delete
    4. I wrote a mail using K9 and official Androis Whatsapp client and ask could they unban my number.

      Here is supported Android devices: https://www.whatsapp.com/faq/android/21166563

      "Which Android devices are supported?

      We support all Android phones provided they meet the following requirements:

      Your Android phone is running Android OS 2.1 or later.
      Your Android phone is able to receive SMS or calls during the verification process.

      You will also need an adequate data plan in order to receive messages when outside the range of a Wi-Fi network.

      We do not support tablets or Wi-Fi only devices at this time.

      For more specific information, see supported device articles for: iPhone | BlackBerry | Nokia S40 | Nokia S60 | Windows Phone | BlackBerry 10.

      Cheers,
      WhatsApp Support Team"

      Delete
    5. To Anonymous6 November 2014 13:29:
      Based on what you linked, I see Jolla as a fully supported device:
      Specs for Android on Jolla
      Maybe contact them with that information?

      Delete
  8. This is back to android notifications on jolla... in first version they were there, then removed... I agree they are disturbing, but for IM apps like whatsapp it would be really nice.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hello my whatsApp number it's not working and it sayin you number no longer have whatspp please could you be able tell me

    ReplyDelete