Security News > 2023 > January > WhatsApp adds proxy support to help bypass Internet blocks
Starting today, WhatsApp allows users to connect via proxy servers due to Internet shutdowns or if their governments block the service in their country.
The new proxy support option is available to all users running the latest WhatsApp iOS and Android applications.
"Using a proxy doesn't change the high level of privacy and security that WhatsApp provides to all users. Your personal messages and calls will still be protected by end-to-end encryption," the company said on Thursday.
"Only use a proxy if you're unable to connect to WhatsApp. Your IP address may be visible to the proxy provider, which is not WhatsApp," a warning says when setting up the proxy within the app.
To connect through a proxy on Android and iOS, you have to enter a proxy address after enabling the "Use Proxy" option under "Storage and Data" within the WhatsApp settings.
"Our wish for 2023 is that these internet shutdowns never occur. Disruptions like we've seen in Iran for months on end deny people's human rights and cut people off from receiving urgent help," WhatsApp said.