I have to use Whatsapp, unfortunately. Are there any good alternatives to the default app on Android?
I’m worried about all the data it shares with Meta. I denied all permissions but this makes it less convenient, and the app probably still sends over the data that available without them.
The official app doesn’t need to be running constantly. It only needs to connect to Meta’s servers once every 14 days.
The Mautrix-Whatsapp bridge will send a notification couple of days in advance to warn you if the main device hasn’t been active.