WhatsApp now supports proxy servers to bypass government restrictions.

In the event that the Internet is unavailable or if their governments block the service in their country, WhatsApp users can connect through proxy servers.

All WhatsApp iOS and Android users can take advantage of the brand-new proxy support option.

According to WhatsApp, connecting through a proxy will preserve the privacy and security of the messages because they will continue to be encrypted from beginning to end.

This guarantees that only you and the recipient can read them, with no intermediaries like the proxy server, Meta, or WhatsApp able to access their contents.

“The high level of privacy and security that WhatsApp offers to all users does not change when a proxy is used. End-to-end encryption will continue to safeguard your private messages and calls, the company stated on Thursday.

If you are unable to connect to WhatsApp, only use a proxy. When setting up the proxy within the app, a warning states that “Your IP address may be visible to the proxy provider, which is not WhatsApp.”

After activating the “Use Proxy” option in the “Storage and Data” section of the WhatsApp settings, you will need to enter a proxy address in order to connect through a proxy on Android and iOS.

Using the instructions provided here, individuals who want to assist their friends or family in remaining connected even when their connection is disrupted or blocked can set up their own proxies.

“We hope that these internet outages will never occur in 2023.” People’s human rights are violated and they are prevented from receiving immediate assistance when disruptions occur, as we’ve seen for months in Iran,” WhatsApp stated.

“We hope this solution helps people wherever there is a need for secure and reliable communication, even in the event that these shutdowns continue.”

In October 2021, WhatsApp made end-to-end encrypted chat backups available for iOS and Android devices. This was done to prevent anyone from accessing the contents of chats, regardless of where they were stored.

In December 2021, it added default disappearing messages to all new chats, further expanding the privacy control features.

WhatsApp reversed earlier decisions to restrict some features or delete user accounts of users who disagreed with a new privacy policy requiring users to share their data with other Meta companies, resulting in these privacy and security enhancements.

More than two billion people from over 180 nations use the instant messaging and video calling platform, according to Meta.