# WhatsApp vs. Facebook messaging **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 1, 2016, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatsapp-vs-facebook-messaging/756223 "2016-06-01T11:26:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![up\_the\_junction](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f1d935/32.png) [@up\_the\_junction](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/up_the_junction)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2016, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatsapp-vs-facebook-messaging/756223/1 "2016-06-01T11:26:30Z")
I’ve got to join a WhatsApp group. I don’t particularly mind except I quite like to deal with some stuff on the computer and leave my phone separate. Is there much that’s done on WhatsApp that can’t be done via a Facebook messaging group? ---
**Author:** ![NAF1138](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naf1138/32/3245_2.png) [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2016, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatsapp-vs-facebook-messaging/756223/2 "2016-06-01T11:36:05Z")
> [@up\_the\_junction](#): > > I’ve got to join a WhatsApp group. I don’t particularly mind except I quite like to deal with some stuff on the computer and leave my phone separate. > > Is there much that’s done on WhatsApp that can’t be done via a Facebook messaging group? Depends on what you are looking for. I use whatsapp and find that it’s much more stable on my phone and just a better designed app than Messenger. Also, I like that whatsapp is end to end encrypted and not reading my messages looking for what ads to serve me. Other than that, they are pretty much the same, as an on phone experience. There are obvious differencees when you want to leave your phone (namely you can’t with whatsapp). ---
**Author:** ![up\_the\_junction](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f1d935/32.png) [@up\_the\_junction](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/up_the_junction)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2016, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatsapp-vs-facebook-messaging/756223/3 "2016-06-01T13:23:20Z")
That’s helpful. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Macca26](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/13edae/32.png) [@Macca26](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Macca26)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2016, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatsapp-vs-facebook-messaging/756223/4 "2016-06-01T13:55:58Z")
> [@NAF1138](#): > > Depends on what you are looking for. I use whatsapp and find that it’s much more stable on my phone and just a better designed app than Messenger. Also, I like that whatsapp is end to end encrypted and not reading my messages looking for what ads to serve me. Other than that, they are pretty much the same, as an on phone experience. There are obvious differencees when you want to leave your phone (namely you can’t with whatsapp). WhatsApp is encrypted. However, I don’t know if I would assume it is not giving away information for targeted ads. After all, the phones on either end can read the messages, and Facebook owns WhatsApp. I have indeed messaged someone something on WhatsApp, mentioning it nowhere else and looking it up nowhere else, and shortly getting a targeted ad on the Facebook app later about this specific topic. It seems quite suspicious to me, even though statements on the internet go along the lines of, “but the WhatsApp guys would _never_ do that”. ---
**Author:** ![NAF1138](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naf1138/32/3245_2.png) [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2016, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatsapp-vs-facebook-messaging/756223/5 "2016-06-01T14:00:02Z")
> [@Macca26](#): > > WhatsApp is encrypted. However, I don’t know if I would assume it is not giving away information for targeted ads. After all, the phones on either end can read the messages, and Facebook owns WhatsApp. I have indeed messaged someone something on WhatsApp, mentioning it nowhere else and looking it up nowhere else, and shortly getting a targeted ad on the Facebook app later about this specific topic. It seems quite suspicious to me, even though statements on the internet go along the lines of, “but the WhatsApp guys would _never_ do that”. The end to end encryption is only a month or so old. According to them (who knows, but this is what they say) no one and nothing can read your messages but you anymore unless you actually hand someone your phone. ---
**Author:** ![Headrush042](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a5b964/32.png) [@Headrush042](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Headrush042)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2016, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatsapp-vs-facebook-messaging/756223/6 "2016-06-01T14:01:11Z")
End-to-end encryption does not prevent the app itself from harvesting your data – it only prevents third parties from listening in on your communications stream (like your service providers, governments, law enforcement, intelligence agencies, etc). ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2016, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatsapp-vs-facebook-messaging/756223/7 "2016-06-01T16:24:42Z")
Yeah, there is a reason why Facebook would have bought WhatsApp. FWIW, Facebook is talking about making Facebook Messenger encrypted end to end as well. ---
**Author:** ![JpnDude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/838e76/32.png) [@JpnDude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JpnDude)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2016, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatsapp-vs-facebook-messaging/756223/8 "2016-06-02T08:00:35Z")
> [@NAF1138](#): > > Depends on what you are looking for. I use whatsapp and find that it’s much more stable on my phone and just a better designed app than Messenger. Also, I like that whatsapp is end to end encrypted and not reading my messages looking for what ads to serve me. Other than that, they are pretty much the same, as an on phone experience. **There are obvious differencees when you want to leave your phone (namely you can’t with whatsapp)**. Bolding is mine. WhatsApp does have a PC browser component. > **[WhatsApp Web](https://web.whatsapp.com/)** > > Quickly send and receive WhatsApp messages right from your computer. ---
**Author:** ![NAF1138](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naf1138/32/3245_2.png) [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2016, 10:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatsapp-vs-facebook-messaging/756223/9 "2016-06-02T10:34:33Z")
> [@JpnDude](#): > > Bolding is mine. > > WhatsApp does have a PC browser component. > > [https://web.whatsapp.com/](https://web.whatsapp.com/) So my whole post is either outdated or misinformed. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2016, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatsapp-vs-facebook-messaging/756223/10 "2016-06-02T14:26:52Z")
It’s relatively recent. However, there is a catch with that… > **[WhatsApp just released desktop apps for Mac and Windows](https://www.theverge.com/2016/5/10/11653606/whatsapp-mac-windows-desktop-apps-download)** > > U up? > [@](#): > > “Like WhatsApp Web, our desktop app is simply an extension of your phone: the app mirrors conversations and messages from your mobile device,” the company said. Put another way: you need the mobile app running on your phone, close to your desktop computer, for it to work. (though in reading further, it appears you just need your phone near you once… and then just have it connected to the internet - as it mirrors what is being sent to and fro your phone)