[salqadri]

Wow that's impressive. But I would imagine WhatsApp/Facebook can just change their protocol at any time since it is easy to redeploy a new version of the WhatsApp Web client, thus breaking any 3p clients built on the original protocol. That would require yet another reverse engineering effort that can take a while. And by the time its reverse engineered again, they can yet again change the protocol. So the only reliable way to create 3p clients would be if WhatsApp itself publicly publishes its protocol.

[scardine]

They have a closed beta program for an "Enterprise" version that is supposed to have an API. Seems like a good way to monetize.

[salqadri]

On really? In that case they definitely would not want to allow this project to cannibalize their revenue. On the other hand, it makes it harder for them to change their APIs then as it impacts clients not directly under their control.

[hazelnut]

they still have to support older clients. so it is not that easy to just change the protocol.

[saurik]

No, because it is a website.

[paxy]

They also have native apps on most mobile platforms (including Windows Phone, Blackberry and even Nokia Series 40). It isn't as easy to update all of them as one would think.

[detuur]

But those are the apps themselves. This is about the WhatsApp Web protocol which allows you to use WhatsApp from a browser window by pairing it with a live session on your phone. Since the API endpoint are their own servers and the client is literally just a website, they can update whenever they want however much they want.

[bxc]

One of the things that has repeatedly pushed me off WhatsApp has been their very aggressive stance on this: I've several times stopped using it because "you need to update your app or this will all stop working in 7 days" and I've not been in the mood for jiggling the apps round on my tiny phone to be able to perform that update: the 7 days has passed, and I'm off WhatsApp again until such time as I "need" it.

[gsich]

You can always screenscrape.

[throwawaylolx]

> it is easy to redeploy a new version of the WhatsApp Web client

You can choose your version when you send the requests

[chocolatkey]

I've wanted to create my own WhatsApp client that's and actual native desktop application. If this reverse-engineering process continues, it might now be possible. It's irritating when people say "Signal/WhatsApp has a desktop app!" because technically, they're right, but I have enough web browsers on my system already, thank you very much

[dzamo_norton]

> my own WhatsApp client that's and actual native desktop application.

What would it do differently?

[gsich]

look at yowsup