Hi guys,
Following in the footsteps of Signal (see my tip below from October 2022), Whatsapp is now offering a way to access its services using a proxy which means that people living in parts of the world where WhatsApp is banned can now access the service! “Choosing a proxy enables you to connect to WhatsApp through servers set up by volunteers and organizations around the world dedicated to helping people communicate freely,” the Meta-owned company said.
To start running WhatsApp through a proxy, follow these instructions for Android and iOS:
Android:
Connect to a proxy on Android
* Make sure you are using the most current version of WhatsApp.
* In the Chats tab, tap More options
* Go to Settings.
* Tap Storage and Data > Proxy.
* Tap Use Proxy.
* Tap Set Proxy and enter the proxy address.
* Tap Save.
* A check mark will show if the connection is successful.
Note: If you can still not send or receive WhatsApp messages using a proxy, that proxy may have been blocked. You can long-press the blocked proxy address to delete it, then enter a new proxy address to try again.
iPhone:
* Make sure you are using the most current version of WhatsApp.
* Go to WhatsApp Settings.
* Tap Storage and Data > Proxy.
* Tap Use Proxy.
* Enter the proxy address and tap Save to connect.
* A check mark will show if the connection is successful.
Note: If you can still not send or receive WhatsApp messages using a proxy, that proxy may have been blocked. You can long-press the blocked proxy address to delete it, then enter a new proxy address to try again.
Please share this message with anyone who lives in a censored part of the world.
All the best,
Max Roberts,
Incognito Privavy Care Team.
Original Message from October 2022
Hey Guys,
Without going into any details (i am sure you know), there is an ongoing blackout of many communications tools in Iran. People are blocked from communicating with each other on many popular messaging tools such as Whatsapp, Telegram, and Signal. This is not very good news from an Iranian point of view. Luckily, the guys at Signal have a solution that can help them, but we need help to make it happen.
If you want to help, you can follow these instructions, which will turn your device into a proxy that people in this country can use to access the Signal messaging app. Essentially they will be running their communications through you, and because you are not in Iran, it will not be a problem. You cannot help with other messaging tools at the moment, but giving them Signal access is massive.
Follow these instructions from Signal:
What do you need?
To get started, you only need the following:
- A server with ports 80 and 443 available.
- A domain name (or subdomain) that points to the server’s IP address.
The proxy is extremely lightweight. An inexpensive and tiny VPS can easily handle hundreds of concurrent users.
Follow these steps:
- SSH into your server.
- Install Docker, Docker Compose, and git:
sudo apt update && sudo apt install docker docker-compose git
- Clone the Signal TLS Proxy repository:
git clone https://github.com/signalapp/Signal-TLS-Proxy.git
- Enter the repo directory:
cd Signal-TLS-Proxy
- Run the helper script that configures and provisions a TLS certificate from Let’s Encrypt:
sudo ./init-certificate.sh
- You will be prompted to enter the domain or subdomain pointing to this server’s IP address.
- Use Docker Compose to launch the proxy:
sudo docker-compose up –detach
Your proxy is now running. You do not need to do anything else as everything from this point is automatic.
Share your proxy address carefully:
You can share your proxy with friends and family using this URL format: https://signal.tube/#
Note: Share this link privately; otherwise, your server could be added to the blocked list. If you use social media, you can say something like this:
RIP Mahsa Amini 🙏❤️
All the best,
Max.