Android users are warned about a trick that allows you to read deleted WhatsApp messages that could compromise phone data.
A handful of different apps can be used to retrieve the deleted messages.
But one new app, WAMR, seems to retrieve deleted data from WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and other platforms.
Due to the encryption on Android devices, WAMR does not have direct access to the messages.
Instead, the app uses your notification history to read the messages and create a message backup, according to information from the Google App Store.
The WAMR app detects a deleted message and then shows you a notification.
Additional media including images, videos, animated gifs, audio, voice memos, documents, stickers can also be recovered from messages.
However, the app notes that it is not an official way to recover deleted messages and warns that restrictions may occur based on the app where the message data resides, or even the Android operating system.
There is also a privacy risk associated with downloading the app.
Open the WAMR app installation, several permissions need to be granted for it to work on your Android device.
These permissions can compromise data from other apps on your phone.
Information Security Newspaper reports that Internet search history and contact lists are among the data accessible by the WAMR app.
The outlet also reports that despite the potential security vulnerabilities, the WAMR app has been downloaded more than 10 million times.
Choosing to download an app like WAMR that can compromise the data and security on your phone is a risk that needs to be weighed carefully.
WhatsApp has long been praised for its privacy and encryption.
The app offers a level of privacy with its end-to-end encryption for messages and calls.
WhatsApp recently launched a new update that allows users to easily contact the company’s support team.
This story originally appeared on the sun and is reproduced here with permission