If you`ve received a smartphone or tablet for xmas

[#1]

Maybe old news to some, but there is a Android app called "WhatsApp" lets you  send and receive texts online. if you are on payg (saves money when sending  pictures) its free, and may be of use,you can also have it for Windows and Mac I can recommend it. 

https://www.whatsapp.com/

[#2]

They have more than a Billion active users at this point so a little late to the party.

Also, the ICO had to step in earlier In the year over privacy issues with sharing data with Facebook
https://iconewsblog.wordpress.com/2016/11/07/information-commissioner-updates-on-whatsapp-facebook-i...

I would suggest looking at Signal if you care about privacy and security

https://whispersystems.org

[#3]

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2u2me wrote:

you can also have it for Windows and Mac I can recommend it. 

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Windows 8 and above (for some stupid reason).

[#4]

It troubles me that most if not all apps especially of this kind require access to all your information such as address book and browsing history. Not unlike selling your soul to the devil?

Just to easy to agree to those terms and conditions.

[#5]

Interesting - does the text work on none smart phone SMS texts?

We don't have mobile coverage, have no use for smart phones, but would be useful to send and receive SMS texts between PC and simple mobile phone

[#6]

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7up wrote:

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2u2me wrote:

you can also have it for Windows and Mac I can recommend it. 

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Windows 8 and above (for some stupid reason).

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nope, i have it on Windows 7

[#7]

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Minivanman wrote:

It troubles me that most if not all apps especially of this kind require access to all your information such as address book and browsing history. Not unlike selling your soul to the devil?

Just to easy to agree to those terms and conditions.

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obviously it would need access to your address book, as it's an app that used mobile numbers as the means for contacting people.

[#8]

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journeys wrote:

Interesting - does the text work on none smart phone SMS texts?

We don't have mobile coverage, have no use for smart phones, but would be useful to send and receive SMS texts between PC and simple mobile phone

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it's not an SMS app, it's a proprietary chat app.
the app requires and android, iOS, or windows phone.
was on blackberry too, but i believe they ceased support for it recently.

[#9]

"obviously it would need access to your address book, as it's an app that used mobile numbers as the means for contacting people"

Well not that obvious why they would need your address book. Buying a diary from a book shop is not conditional of you handing over details of where you have been and who you know. We might just as well hand over our wallets as well and tell em' to help themselves.

Sorry if you just don't get it..... but I think you do but there you go, I guess we are all drifting into a world where information is shared whether we like it or not. 

[#10]

well all your contacts numbers are in your phone address book, and as whatsapp uses mobile numbers as the method of contact then it would need the numbers in your address book.

how else would the app be able to show you your contacts within whatsapp if it can't see your address book?

and i do "get it", but it's clear that you don't.
or maybe you do, but are choosing to not "get it" for arguments sake, but there we go.

[#11]

Err, you could enter them yourself?

[#12]

why? when you have already entered them into your address book.
of course, you do have the option of refusing the Ts&Cs and not using the app.

[#13]

Of course we could refuse those conditions and there's the rub.

Don't you feel that so many internet providers of services want to much information and that if you don't supply it then tough? Just seems an unfair and unnecessary balance between provider and customer in this electronic day and age.

Scrub the wallet analogy, I'll just bend over and touch my toes.

[#14]

well no, i understand that if i want to use an messaging app then the app will need access to my contacts so that it can provide me with the means of contacting them.

this is the same as giving the stock SMS app access to the address book, which you will already have done.

i also understand that it is my choice to do so, and if i don't agree then i don't use the app.
of course, you can't stop someone else sharing your number with the app if they use it.

but if you choose to opt-out of all such services then there are still "dumb" phones on the market.

[#15]

Thanks for the useful replies all, Its not really for me , but the special one in my life, who is on a Samsung payg smartphone  and had some family photo`s text to her over xmas, which she could not download, so a younger family member recommended the WhatsApp to her and now she can download to her hearts content.