Changing the color of the WhatsApp icon is possible, but it can put user privacy at risk

April 5 (Portaltic/EP) –

There are applications available in Google Play Store that allow users to change the icon of the WhatsApp messaging platform, although downloading them can be as useful as they are dangerous, since the installation of these services can put the privacy of user data at risk.

The application developed by Meta has always shown its icon in green, a color that differentiates it from other services offered by the company, such as blue Facebook or Messenger and, more recently, the black of Threads.

Currently, the application only allows you to modify its theme (light or dark), although it is working on other customization options, such as colored notifications, as you warned. WABetaInfo earlier this year in the beta version of WhatsApp for iOS.

WhatsApp, therefore, does not include any option that allows you to modify the appearance of its application logo, which means that any modification must be carried out in parallel with its service, through third-party applications.

The peculiarity of Android terminals is that, to put the icon in other colors, it is necessary to download a launcher applicationwhich are used to customize visual aspects of the device's home interface.

This is the case of services such as Action Launcher, Lawnchair Launcher, Nova Launcher, among others. Likewise, there are applications that are specifically aimed at changing icons, such as X Icon Changer.

Once one of them is installed, it is possible to change the green WhatsApp logo for one of a different color – which is available on the internet – or for an image that does not include it, such as any photograph stored in the device's gallery.

On the other hand, modifying the appearance of the icon of this instant messaging platform is also possible on Apple devices although, unlike those based on Android, both iPhones and iPads incorporate a native tool for this action.

It's about the application Shortcutswhich allows you to create a shortcut with a different aesthetic than usual, a function that was introduced with the iOS 14 version. The new icon chosen can be an image from the terminal galleryalthough you can also create a new one and save it to storage.

HOW PERSONALIZATION APPS PROCESS DATA

Although WhatsApp customization is possible with external applications, these do not always comply with the Terms of Service established by the official application, especially with regard to data privacy.

One of the services mentioned, Action Launcher, warns in the Google Play Store that it is possible to share data with third parties, regarding the activity and performance of the service, but that no personal data is collected.

Likewise, those responsible for the application maintain that all the information it manages is encrypted in transit and that users can request that it be deleted. These are the same specifications offered by the similar 'app' Lawnchair Launcher.

The application Nova Launcher, Instead, it does notify users that it can collect and share their data, such as location and app performance on the device, but that it protects it with encryption and that it can be deleted if they choose.

For its part, X Icon Changer notes on the Google Play Store that the data “is not transferred over a secure connection” and that the data it collects cannot be deleted either, since “the developer does not provide a way to request it“.

GBWHATSAPP AND WHATSAPP PLUS

WhatsApp also coexists with other unofficial or modified versions such as GBWhatsApp either WhatsApp Plus, that promise to offer more specific functionalities than the official one and that are downloaded from third-party application stores, since they are not available in the Google Play Store.

Both have a higher level of customization for WhatsApp and include different options for themes and backgrounds, as well as emojis that are not available in the WhatsApp developed by Meta. Thus, it is possible to modify its icon, which looks the same as the official one, with colors other than green.

However, They lack the security systems that the official version does have. This is the case of end-to-end encryption technology, which protects user conversations so that no other person can read them, not even the application itself.

For this reason, the use of WhatsApp Plus -which shows a blue icon- and GBWhatsapp -with a slightly different appearance and tone than the official version- can pose a risk to the privacy of users and their contacts, since it does not have a well-founded architecture focused on security that protects them from malicious campaigns.