Category Archives: Android

How to Unblock WhatsApp at School or Work

When it comes to messaging apps people like options. And it’s well demonstrated in lists of the top 10 apps with the most active monthly users. WhatsApp Messenger, Facebook Messenger, and Telegram typically all make the top 10 year after year.

WhatsApp has global appeal. The app is seriously popular with approximately two billion users worldwide, outranking WeChat and Facebook Messenger. Countries with the most users worldwide are India, Brazil, and the US.

If you can’t access WhatsApp on your phone there are a few main reasons that is happening. First, WhatsApp could be blocked in your country. Second, it could be blocked by your workplace or school.

While WhatsApp is well-known and used globally there are just a handful of countries that don’t share the enthusiasm. Five countries have blocked WhatsApp in some capacity: China, North Korea, Syria, Qatar, and the UAE.

Social media and messaging apps like WhatsApp are also commonly blocked in corporate settings and at schools. Business-orientated messaging apps like Slack and Microsoft Teams are recognized as solid alternatives to email. However, if WhatsApp has been blocked it’s likely seen as a threat to productivity by decision-makers.

Why Is WhatsApp So Popular Internationally?

Meta has owned WhatsApp since 2014 when it was acquired for nearly $20 billion. Mark Zuckerberg and his company recognized the potential of WhatsApp early on and the move has paid off for them as Meta now dominates the messaging app space.

People in the US and Canada take mobile phone plans with unlimited international texting for granted. However, in areas such as Latin America customers are charged extra for international phone plans. Thus, many use WhatsApp rather than SMS for contacting people outside their country because it’s free.

Additionally, people in developing countries such as India often use WhatsApp so they don’t have to pay to use smartphone features like SMS and mobile data.

Common Reasons WhatsApp Is Blocked

WhatsApp and its associated services are widely available. However, in some situations the app has been blocked specifically.

People may need to unblock it for various reasons. After all, WhatsApp is a primary channel of communication for many around the globe. Here are the two main circumstances that will require a bit of help:

Offices or Schools

Networks in public places are much different than your Wi-Fi network at home. Higher levels of security are needed. Network admins put firewalls in place and also block apps that aren’t needed or desirable in that setting.

Messaging apps are just as useful to business users and students as anyone. Nevertheless, some leaders see WhatsApp as just another social media app that is a distraction to employees and students.

If you can’t access WhatsApp at school or work that means the network administrator added it to their list of restricted apps.

Traveling Abroad

Certain countries block access to WhatsApp within their borders for a variety of reasons. WhatsApp uses strong encryption so messages can’t be intercepted and viewed by any third parties. Some governments have a dim view of apps that make surveillance impossible. Additionally, since WhatsApp is free it has the potential to lower the profits of state telecom operations.

China is well-known for blocking apps that are widely used elsewhere in the world. Meta products such as Facebook, Facebook Messenger, and Instagram have all been blocked there. The Chinese have their own social media apps that perform similar functions as the ones that emerged from Silicon Valley in the US. In place of WhatsApp, WeChat is the leading messaging app in China.

Other countries have opted to block WhatsApp as well. Visitors to North Korea, Syria, Qatar, and the UAE may be in for a surprise when they can’t use WhatsApp. It is hugely popular in Brazil despite the fact the messaging app has been temporarily shut down in the country at certain points.

How to Unblock WhatsApp with a VPN

First, for those that are unfamiliar let’s touch on what a VPN is. A virtual private network is a way to connect to the internet that gives you an additional layer of data encryption and greater privacy.

When you use an app or visit a website your actual location and identity are not revealed with a VPN enabled. In fact, you can choose a new IP address associated with a different country than you’re currently in. That in turn can allow you to use apps that have been blocked in your true location.

Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s look at the steps associated with unblocking WhatsApp:

  1. Select your VPN – Any VPN service should be able to get you around a WhatsApp block. Choosing the right VPN requires more research if you need to access WhatsApp overseas. So, be sure to have a look at LetMyBy’s top 3 VPNs for full reviews of recommended services.
  2. Install the VPN app – Decent VPN providers all have their own app. After you’ve signed up for a VPN, find the link to their app on their website. You’ll be redirected to Apple’s App Store or the Google Play Store depending on the platform you use.
  3. Open the VPN app and log in – Launch the VPN app. You’ll need to enter the login info you used to create your account with the VPN provider. Next, tap ‘connect’ to start using the service.
  4. Choose a server – Typically the VPN app will automatically connect you to the best server based on your location. If you’re getting around a block at school or work, you’ve completed the process and can start using WhatsApp now. If the block is based on your country, you’ll need to complete the next two steps.
  5. Choose another location – Find the list of VPN server locations in the app. In many cases there’s a nice UI with a world map. Choose a country that is close and that hasn’t blocked WhatsApp such as the United States or the United Kingdom.
  6. Launch WhatsApp – Test WhatsApp to see if you can use it as normal. You should be good to go!

Choosing the Right VPN

Originally VPNs were primarily used by businesses to give their remote employees access to internal applications and data. A lot has changed since. Not only are there plenty of great VPN services to choose from, but they’ve become easy to use, affordable, fast, and secure.

Different VPN providers give you access to different protocols, all of which have associated pros and cons. Some protocols are better overall for use overseas in countries such as China. For example, OpenVPN is often cited as the best protocol for international travel.

Here are LetMeBy’s recommended VPNs for unblocking WhatsApp:

If you’re traveling abroad to countries such as China or the UAE, you’ll want to conduct further research to be certain your VPN of choice currently works in that location. For detailed reviews of the top 3 VPNs, visit this page.

Conclusion

VPNs are pretty amazing and the ability to unblock WhatsApp is just the tip of the iceberg.

You may find yourself in a situation where you absolutely need to access WhatsApp to check your messages or contact someone. Of course, it’s best to respect the rules of your workplace, school, and country.

You Should Use a VPN for Travel and Here’s Why

Everyone is tech-obsessed these days and it’s no different when we travel.

For many, a smartphone is the only device they need for their vacation. Business travelers and tech enthusiasts also opt to bring their laptop, tablet, or smart speaker. And while these devices open up amazing possibilities, there are also risks to be aware of.

While most think of precautions such as travel insurance, and putting their cash and valuables in a safe place. All too often they don’t think about how to protect themselves from cybercrime.

Public Wi-Fi: Convenient but Risky

You may have noticed hotels have Wi-Fi with lax security measures put in place. The hotel staff often use a simple Wi-Fi password and give it to all their guests. In other cases, the Wi-Fi is completely open, requiring only a room number, code, or click-through to go online. Either way, the Wi-Fi at hotels isn’t safe for anything beyond casually browsing the web. It’s particularly unsafe if you plan on entering your private data.

And that’s just one example. Free Wi-Fi is available everywhere from cafes to museums and airports. It’s convenient but any Wi-Fi offered to the public has risks associated with it.

You may be wondering why public Wi-Fi isn’t safe. The reason is anyone who is connected to the same network as you can potentially access your unencrypted data. Thus, your usernames, passwords, credit card numbers, browser cookies, and other data can be gathered by malicious individuals with the tech know-how needed to do so.

Making Wi-Fi Safe While Traveling

One solution to the pitfalls associated with public Wi-Fi is to avoid doing tasks that involve sharing your private data online. The problem with this approach is it’s easy to forget about security concerns when you need to get something done. Additionally, you could be targeted in a way you could never anticipate.

For most travelers, the most practical and effective way to protect your data is to use a VPN.

A VPN is an encrypted tunnel for your data that’s placed between your device and the internet. Essentially it turns any unsecured internet connection into a secure one.

About VPNs and Why They’re Used

VPN is short for virtual private network. Although VPNs were originally intended for business applications, it quickly become a technology all internet users can benefit from. After all, individuals have many of the same needs as businesses.

People use VPNs for two main reasons: to protect their online privacy and to enhance their security.

Starting with privacy, people are more concerned than ever about data that’s shared with third parties when they browse the web and use apps. Tech giants like Facebook and Apple have found ways to grant their users better privacy than ever, but one still needs to trust that they’re living up to their credo. Generally, people are slow to place their trust in most corporations today.

VPNs give users the true online anonymity they’ve always craved. It allows them to change their IP address (which is one of the most common ways to identify an internet user and their location). Thus, if they’re tracked with a VPN enabled their activity won’t be associated with their physical location.

The other reason VPNs are so popular is its ability to make the internet secure so that private data can’t be stolen by malicious individuals.

Smartphones are a primary internet device for literally billions of people worldwide. Today you’ll find Wi-Fi access in virtually any public place where people gather. The catch is that public Wi-Fi is less safe than hopping on the internet at home or work.

VPNs use state-of-the-art encryption so your data can’t be accessed or stolen by third parties.

Choosing the Best VPN for Travel

The first point to consider is if the VPN service you’re considering is well-supported in the countries on your bucket list. For example, some VPN services work reliably in China while others can potentially be blocked.

Check which protocols the service provides its users with. OpenVPN is often considered the best all-around protocol and people have reported it’s been working well in China in recent months. Having the ability to switch to different protocols is also useful to international travelers. If a protocol doesn’t work you can test the others, and in many cases at least one will do the job.

LetMeBy has tested many of the popular VPNs out there today. These are the most-recommended services for general travel:

If you’re traveling to China, you’ll also want to add VyprVPN to the list.

The company has been good about working around roadblocks in China. And they’ve been quick to adapt and offer solutions even though it can be challenging to use a VPN there.

How to Use a VPN

VPNs were once reserved for techies and business users. Now it’s easy to connect to a VPN with your phone, tablet, or laptop.

The first step is to download the app from your VPN provider.

This saves you the trouble of configuring individual apps such as your web browser to connect to the VPN. Additionally, it makes it straightforward to change settings such as selecting a new IP address associated with a different country than you’re presently in.

Next, launch the app. The login screen will appear. Enter your username or email and password provided by your VPN provider and you’re in. Yes, connecting is that easy.

Conclusion

Mobile data can be expensive when traveling abroad and since people are so used to accessing their devices frequently, Wi-Fi is a must. Public Wi-Fi gives travelers free access to the internet whether they’re in Honolulu, Rome, or Hong Kong.

The cost associated with using public Wi-Fi isn’t measured in dollars. Public networks are conveniences with a low level of security. Thus, it’s crucial to be mindful of the risks and take precautions.

Using a VPN while traveling not only protects your private data. It also gives you peace of mind. And with so many things on your mind while making the most of your time off, that’s a much-needed gift.

How Your Phone is Tracked and How to Hide Your Location

Ever get stunned by an ad that seems to know more about your life than it should?

At times it can seem like tech companies are listening to our conversions. However, the reality is nobody has time for that. There are much more efficient ways to gather data.

It’s true that businesses are very interested in your preferences and habits. By pinpointing the places you visit, learning the products you buy and opinions you have, advertisers can tailor their message just for people like you.

Often their goal is to build profiles of their typical customers. And to do that they gather information from many sources.

They leverage the tech built into your phone, sophisticated software, and the power of the internet. Websites use tracking codes, browser fingerprinting, and cookies that are stored on your laptop or phone. Some companies even purchase personal information from other businesses that specialize in gathering data.

How Apps and Websites Determine Your Location

Smartphones offer us amazing utility and convenience, but with that comes potential doorways to our private information.

Phones have GPS technology built-in and software developers use this to determine where you are. When you launch an app, it may ask for permission to access your photos or your location. You may have to agree for the app to function correctly, but in other cases it’s optional.

Websites often don’t need to ask for permission to determine your IP address and the country you’re based in.

You may have noticed websites sometimes ask to access your location data and you can accept or deny the request in your browser. A good example is when you’re searching for a retail store location that’s near you. Many people go for it as it’s more convenient to grant access to your location data than to enter your zip code or postal code.

Bluetooth Beacons Are Watching

Advertisers use hidden Bluetooth beacons in supermarket shelves, advertising posters, and malls to track you. It’s a simple device that transmits a continuous signal that phone apps can detect.

It notifies them when you have walked into a store or gone past an advertisement so it can be counted as a visit or ad impression. Beacons are also used to determine how effective an ad is.

Recommendation: Make it a habit to turn off Bluetooth when you aren’t using it.

IP Targeting: An Invasion of Privacy?

Ad tech is extremely sophisticated in terms of delivering a tailored message to the right geographic area or even household.

Geotargeting serves ads to wide location such as the United States or the city of Toronto.

IP targeting is much more specific to the point it may be perceived as intrusive. Advertisers can deliver specific ads to a list of households that fit criteria they have set, such as age, education, income, or even interests.

Recommendation: Use a VPN service whenever possible to hide your IP address. For more info about VPNs as well as best providers, go here.

Mobile Towers Can Determine Your Whereabouts

If you think turning off your phone’s GPS will effectively hide your location from all parties, think again. To receive service, smartphones transmit personal identifiers to cell towers owned by major network operators.

In other words, the technology your phone provider uses needs to track your location and verify that you’re a paying customer.

Thus, by simply owning a smartphone people have accepted tracking devices in disguise into their life. That’s because there’s currently no way to decouple the customer authentication process from the connectivity process.

The good news is there are startup companies such as Invisv working on solutions which may give smartphone users true location privacy in the future.

Recommendation: To keep your location data private and prevent it from being transmitted to cell phone and Wi-Fi towers enable the “Airplane Mode” feature on your phone.

Ad Trackers Build Profiles Associated with Your Devices

High-tech businesses sometimes use methods such as cookies, tracking URLs and tracking pixels to monitor consumer behavior. If their tech is sophisticated enough, they can piece together the data that is harvested and automatically build a profile that outlines your buying habits, interests, etc.

If you’ve ever wondered how websites and apps show you ads that are a little too relevant for comfort, this is how they do it. It’s called ad personalization.

Luckily Apple and Google have included settings on their phones that allows you to turn off ad personalization. It’s just a matter of drilling down into the settings.

Recommendation: Disable personalized services and ads in the settings on your iOS or Android phone. Additionally, you may want to disable cookies in your internet browser. To learn the steps required to do it, have a look at this page.

Conclusion

Although being tracked is part of modern life, there are plenty of ways to regain your privacy and hide your location. More often than not it comes down to turning off your phone’s features when you don’t need them, such as Bluetooth and its GPS.

For trackers that can’t be avoided so easily, VPN services allow you to choose a VPN server location that differs from your actual location. Any solid VPN provider has apps you can install on your phone, devices, and laptop so your privacy is fully protected.

Better personal privacy requires mindfulness and set up, but decoupling your technology from your location is a liberating pursuit. Enjoy your life and travels knowing third parties can’t pinpoint exactly where you are!

How to Unblock Telegram Securely

Telegram is a growing instant messaging app, but not every country is feeling the love.

It’s banned in Iran, China, India, and Pakistan. It was also previously blocked in Russia before the restriction was lifted in 2020.

Why Telegram Was Blocked

After Edward Snowden alleged the NSA was spying on Americans, the public’s perception of institutions would never be the same.

With distrust of institutions and tech giants at an all-time-high, many people began to look into alternative apps like Telegram. They started using the app because they were concerned that they were being surveilled.

In fact, Telegram was born out of distrust for governments, server authorities, and the big players in social media.

When governments found out about the type of users Telegram was attracting, some clearly weren’t impressed.

Several countries labeled it as a political tool or as a threat to national security. Iran and Russia have specified that the Islamic State used it to organize terrorism plots, spread propaganda, and communicate with foreign governments.

How to Unblock Telegram

Do you live in a country that has blocked Telegram? Did you try to use the app at school or work only to find it’s blocked by the administrator?

The easiest, most reliable way to unblock Telegram is to use a VPN. A virtual private server allows you to hide your current location and replace it with another location of your choice. For example, people in Iran can change their IP address to one that is associated with the United States. Thus, you’ll be able to bypass the restriction and access the app.

There are a lot of solid VPN services out there, plus they’re all more affordable than ever. At LetMeBy we aim to only recommend the best to our visitors.

These are our go-to fast, secure VPNs:

Telegram’s Privacy and Security: Strong Enough?

According to the software developer themselves Telegram messages are always securely encrypted. Secret Chat messages use client-client encryption. Cloud Chats use client-server/server-client encryption and data is safely stored in the Telegram Cloud.

Critics have noted that while Telegram messages are encrypted, the method used to achieve this is suspect. It uses closed source encryption which is considered inferior by many leading security experts.

Additionally, Telegram messages are not encrypted by default. You have to enable this feature. Founder Pavel Durov wrote about why it’s a myth that messengers like WhatsApp are better because they use “end-to-end encrypted by default”, while Telegram does not.

Tensions Lead to Durov’s Creation

Telegram founder Pavel Durov, was once dubbed “Russia’s Mark Zuckerberg” for creating a widely used website similar to Facebook for Russian citizens.

He fled Russia with $300 million due to clashes with Putin’s government. It was during this time in self-exile that Durov started programming Telegram. He created it specifically to give users better privacy and security when messaging.

The Yarovaya law, which requires Russian telecom operators to keep all voice and messaging traffic of their customers for half a year went into effect in July of 2018.

Management at Telegram couldn’t comply with the new law. They stated it was technically impracticable to provide transcripts of secret chats since they weren’t stored on the user’s devices or on Telegram’s servers.

Consequently, later in 2018 the Russian government began blocking Telegram. The ban was lifted in 2020 after Telegram agreed to help with extremism investigations.

Conclusion

Many users swear by Telegram and think it’s much safer-to-use than competitors like Facebook Messenger. Ultimately this camp prefers to trust Telegram founders Nikolai and Pavel Durov than to trust Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook.

Others have pointed out that Telegram’s closed source encryption method is not as strong as their competitors. So, if you’re a fan of the app but want to be extra safe you may want to enable a VPN to add an additional layer of encryption.

Instagram and Facebook Can Use Your Photos, and You Agreed to It

They say always read the fine print. And when it comes to apps, not many actually do.

When you signed up with Instagram or Facebook you had to agree to the terms of service. You probably didn’t read it. You likely don’t remember tapping ‘agree’, but there’s no going back on that now.

That hasn’t stopped people from trying to block either app’s access to their photos after the fact… with a chain-letter.

Chain-letter Hoax Still Going

Since 2012 users have been posting a chain-letter hoax with a fake deadline. The letter warns their followers that there’s a new rule that allows either Instagram or Facebook to use their photos. And to opt out of the rule, they’re encouraged to repost the letter of course.

From there it contains a legal passage that attempts to thwart the supposedly new policy from affecting the poster.

“I do not give Instagram or any entities associated with Instagram permission to use my pictures, information, messages or posts, both past and future,” it reads. “With this statement, I give notice to Instagram it is strictly forbidden to disclose, copy, distribute, or take action against me based on this profile and/or its contents.”

Nice try, but anyone posting this has given the app access to their GPS, location, camera and photos. Posting a chain-letter won’t revoke privileges that have already been granted.

In fact, the apps often need access to these features on your phone to function. So restricting access isn’t always worth it, even when you can.

Facebook has stated that they also collect info about your network, the device your using, and many other data points.

And to be clear, Instagram and Facebook can access much more than the photos you post to their platform. The company has access to your entire photo library!

How Facebook Uses Your Photos

Would Mark Zuckerberg and friends ever actually harvest your photos and use it on their app without your permission?

Actually, their ad platform does this frequently. However, before you get alarmed, it’s not nearly as bad as you might assume. Some functions show your photos to you exclusively, rather than your friends or the public.

They will use a photo you uploaded earlier to grab your attention and encourage you to run an ad.

Another way Facebook uses your photos is by showing you a memory you posted several years ago and encouraging you to repost it with an updated caption.

Blocking Instagram’s Access to Photos on Your Phone

So, is it possible to simply block apps like Instagram from getting to your photos via the settings in Android or iOS? Yes, you can block them from scraping data associated with your images.

On an Apple device launch ‘Settings,’ then tap on ‘Instagram.’ From there you tap ‘Photos,’ then select ‘Never.’

Consider Using a VPN with Instagram and Facebook

Those that still have privacy concerns may want to review their privacy settings within the app, and then considering using a VPN.

A VPN (virtual private server) acts like an encrypted tunnel between your device and the internet for improved privacy and security.

Using a VPN hides your location and other private data so apps and websites can’t collect as much information about you.

To learn more, read LetMeBy’s reviews of the top VPN providers.

Conclusion

Instagram and Facebook collect data about your photos and have access to everything you upload to the apps as well as your photo gallery by default.

Luckily there are measures you can take to limit their access to your data. You can do this with privacy settings in the app, system settings, or with a VPN. Be aware, simply posting a chain-letter regarding revoking access to your photos won’t do any good.