WhatsApp Upgrades Proxy Feature to Protect Against Internet Outages

Updates to WhatsApp from Meta now provide users with additional freedom in the type of content that can be shared in discussions.

According to WhatsApp, this includes the ability to transmit and receive files, stickers, GIFs, voice notes, and stickers. BBC Persian was the first to report on the new features.

Other upgrades include shortened procedures to make setup easier and the addition of links that can be shared with others so they can "share functioning or valid proxy addresses with their contacts for easy and automatic installation."

In early January, the messaging platform formally introduced support for proxy servers, enabling users to get around censorship and internet blackouts imposed by their governments and gain indirect access to WhatsApp.

The company has also made a reference implementation for setting up a proxy server with open ports 80, 443, or 5222 and a domain name corresponding to the server's IP address available.

According to WhatsApp, a proxy server acts as a middleman between the app and outside servers. Users are able to add verified proxy addresses to their WhatsApp accounts by finding reputable profiles on social media that post them frequently.

Around the world, internet outages have become more frequent amid emergencies, conflicts, acts of racial or religious violence, and to stop exam cheating. In 2022, officials in 35 different nations shut down the internet at least 187 times; 80 of those shutdowns have already happened in the first five months of 2023.