Anyone who’s been using WhatsApp for a while knows it’s a solid messaging app with millions of users globally, clocking in over 2 billion active users by early 2022. But there are other alternatives that offer something Facebook’s native app doesn’t. One popular choice is FMWhatsApp. Unlike the original, this app offers a slew of eye-catching features that dramatically change how one interacts with their contacts. You’ll soon see why users flock to it despite the inherent risks associated with unofficial modded apps.
The very first thing that grabs attention is its extensive customization options. Let’s talk about themes for a second. Over 4,000 themes are available in the FMThemes library. Compare this to WhatsApp’s bare-bones customization; all you can change there is the chat background. In addition, FMWhatsApp allows personalization of nearly every UI element, including fonts, chat colors, notification icons, and even the cursor. Imagine the UI potential!
Data privacy is another running thread in discussions about messaging apps, particularly post-2016 when Facebook acquired WhatsApp. You might be asking, “Can FMWhatsApp provide better privacy?” The answer isn’t black and white. Officially, since FMWhatsApp isn’t from an authorized source, it can’t be as secure as the original WhatsApp, which uses end-to-end encryption to safeguard user data. However, FMWhatsApp does offer features like hiding last seen, blue ticks, and even the second tick, which aren’t natively available on WhatsApp. This can theoretically offer you a modicum of control over who sees your activity status.
Another arena where FMWhatsApp shines is multimedia limitations. On WhatsApp, the limit for sending files is relatively restrictive – only 16 MB for videos and 100 MB for documents. On the contrary, FMWhatsApp bumps this up significantly. You can send files up to 700 MBs, making it much more viable for sharing high-definition videos or large zip files. This alone could explain why so many people find it more user-friendly for media-rich conversations.
When it comes to interaction features, WhatsApp supports only up to 256 members in a group chat. FMWhatsApp significantly expands this, allowing groups of up to 500 participants. If you work in an industry or organization that thrives on group communications, this could be game-changing. Think of large corporations or event organizers who need to communicate with large teams effectively. That’s almost double the number of participants without even breaking a sweat.
The security features are also worth mentioning. Unlike WhatsApp, FMWhatsApp includes an option to lock chats individually. If you have conversations that you want to keep under wraps – maybe trade secrets or personal matters – this feature comes in handy. Password protection on a chat-by-chat basis adds an extra layer of security, which is something WhatsApp lacks. Think of it as an additional vault within a vault.
However, there’s a compelling downside. FMWhatsApp doesn’t have a screening process by an official app store like Google Play, which means downloading it introduces risks of malware and espionage. A case in point: In 2019, reports surfaced that modded apps like FMWhatsApp have vulnerabilities that could expose user data to hackers. Being an unofficial app, it is also more likely to get banned, which would cut you off from your contacts abruptly. Therefore, weigh the risks and benefits before diving in headfirst.
But what if you’re an avid user of the WhatsApp Business app? FMWhatsApp fails to offer an equivalent suite of features designed specifically for business use. WhatsApp Business allows auto-replies, tags for different discussions, and integrated catalog displays for a more seamless customer experience. Businesses can gain customer trust because WhatsApp Business is fully encrypted and launched by Facebook. In stark contrast, FMWhatsApp caters more to personal use with its array of customizations and expanded media limits.
To see where the future is headed, just look back a few years. From the time WhatsApp introduced voice calling in 2015 to launching status updates akin to Instagram Stories in 2017, the features rolled out have generally caught on. If FMWhatsApp’s unique customizations hint at anything, it’s that there’s a growing appetite for more customizable and feature-rich messaging apps. This could possibly push official messaging apps like WhatsApp to innovate faster and incorporate similar features. Who knows, in the next couple of years, we might see WhatsApp integrating some of FMWhatsApp’s features or something much better.
What’s the final verdict then? Enthusiasts argue that using FMWhatsApp can significantly enrich the messaging experience with all its fancy features. However, the trade-offs, primarily security-related, are significant. The official WhatsApp offers robust end-to-end encryption and a tidier approach to development and updates. This leaves the ball in your court. Are you willing to trade security for customization? If so, check out fmwhatsapp for a myriad of features you won’t find in the original app. If not, then maybe it’s best to stick to the good old WhatsApp.