WhatsApp once again fetched in to the circle of questions with yet another bug. This time it has not been caught by any virus or scam but it is a bug (programming error) that exposed the user’s personal old message to a stranger. To express her problem of WhatsApp user took help of another social media giant Twitter. Let’s unfold the truth ahead.
The glitch was first highlighted by an Amazon employee named Abby Fuller. She bought a new mobile and sim card and starts using WhatsApp on her new mobile with new number. A few moments after log in she started to see someone else’s private chat conversations in her own app. She took Twitter to reveal what is happening. She twitted:
"Logged into WhatsApp with a new phone number today and the message history from the previous owner's number was right there?"This doesn't seem right. No, Abby, it doesn't."
After that she once again twitted:
“Yes it was a new device. No it wasn't second hand. It was not a second hand SIM. Yes I'm sure they weren't my messages, or groups that I was added to. Yes they were in plaintext. I am sure it's my phone number. It was not restored from a backup.”
Actually WhatsApp creates user account on the basis of user’s particular contact no. This directly means that however someone else gets your contact number even on another sim card then he can access your old messages (mostly plan text) of WhatsApp which was restored from WhatsApp Backup Archive (Not Google Backup File) while installing and login into WhatsApp.
This clearly means that you can be next victim of this bug if you are not maintaining your contact no, just because it is a common practice of telecom service providers to recycle old numbers therefore you must not be surprised that an old number which you have left out, has been reassigned to someone else and in this case the above phenomenon can be repeated once again.
Whenever you want to surrender a number or intend not to use then you should migrate your WhatsApp account to the new number. For a simple way to do this, use WhatsApp Change Number feature. By using this feature, you will be able to migrate your account information (including your profile info) as well as your groups.
Also those people (like corporate employees use companies contact number) who keep sensitive information inside WhatsApp must abstinence of this practice. Who knows some day we might be caught by a WhatsApp bug.
The glitch was first highlighted by an Amazon employee named Abby Fuller. She bought a new mobile and sim card and starts using WhatsApp on her new mobile with new number. A few moments after log in she started to see someone else’s private chat conversations in her own app. She took Twitter to reveal what is happening. She twitted:
"Logged into WhatsApp with a new phone number today and the message history from the previous owner's number was right there?"This doesn't seem right. No, Abby, it doesn't."
After that she once again twitted:
“Yes it was a new device. No it wasn't second hand. It was not a second hand SIM. Yes I'm sure they weren't my messages, or groups that I was added to. Yes they were in plaintext. I am sure it's my phone number. It was not restored from a backup.”
Why it happened, Can it happened with us?
It is not a first time that a bug has been detected on this Mega Social Media App but this is really a serious issue. Nevertheless we may get another update from WhatsApp in future but I don’t think so. This is one of those bugs which cannot be short out by WhatsApp at immediate action.Actually WhatsApp creates user account on the basis of user’s particular contact no. This directly means that however someone else gets your contact number even on another sim card then he can access your old messages (mostly plan text) of WhatsApp which was restored from WhatsApp Backup Archive (Not Google Backup File) while installing and login into WhatsApp.
This clearly means that you can be next victim of this bug if you are not maintaining your contact no, just because it is a common practice of telecom service providers to recycle old numbers therefore you must not be surprised that an old number which you have left out, has been reassigned to someone else and in this case the above phenomenon can be repeated once again.
So what should we do with the numbers which we want to surrender?
The best idea is suggest by WhatsApp himself. Do not try be stuck in multiple WhatsApp accounts at different times.Whenever you want to surrender a number or intend not to use then you should migrate your WhatsApp account to the new number. For a simple way to do this, use WhatsApp Change Number feature. By using this feature, you will be able to migrate your account information (including your profile info) as well as your groups.
Also those people (like corporate employees use companies contact number) who keep sensitive information inside WhatsApp must abstinence of this practice. Who knows some day we might be caught by a WhatsApp bug.
