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Tuesday, February 11, 2025

Examining WhatsApp Wrapped: Genuine Feature or Scam?

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WhatsApp Wrapped, a trending feature on TikTok, allows users to explore their messaging statistics through a third-party app called ‘WA Wrapped.’ This app generates colorful summaries of chat history, including message counts and supposed screenshot data. However, investigations reveal inconsistencies in the statistics, raising concerns about the app’s reliability. While basic message data appears accurate, the absence of certain metrics in exported files casts doubts on its trustworthiness. Users are cautioned about data privacy issues and high fees for additional insights.

WhatsApp Wrapped has taken TikTok by storm, drawing comparisons to Spotify Wrapped, which highlights your favorite songs and podcasts from the past year. This time, however, the focus is on your messaging history. Users can discover the number of messages exchanged with specific contacts, as well as how many screenshots were taken of their conversations. This prompted us to investigate the authenticity of these statistics.

It’s important to note that WhatsApp Wrapped is not an official feature from the messaging app itself. Instead, it operates through a third-party app called ‘WA Wrapped’ available for iPhones. Users can export their chat history and share it with the app, which then generates colorful slides that summarize the data. For instance, it reveals the total number of messages sent and identifies the most active participant in the conversation.

One intriguing aspect of the app is its ability to display the number of screenshots taken. This is puzzling because, unlike apps like Snapchat that notify users when a screenshot is taken, WhatsApp does not have this capability. This leads us to question the reliability of the data provided by the app.

Investigation Process

To kick off our investigation, we needed to export our chat history. This process is straightforward through WhatsApp’s contact information section, where a button for exporting the chat is located at the bottom. The exported file can then be easily shared with ‘WA Wrapped’ for analysis.

First Test

For our initial test, we initiated a new WhatsApp chat using two devices (A and B) and exchanged several messages. Device B took three screenshots, and we forwarded one message. Following this, device A shared the chat history with WA Wrapped.

The results were presented across 13 slides. However, inconsistencies emerged early on: the app claimed a total of 16 messages were sent, yet reported that device A had ignored the chat 24 times—an impossibility. Furthermore, device B was said to have forwarded 18 messages, despite us only forwarding one.

Another puzzling finding was that device B supposedly archived the chat with device A 11 times, an event that never occurred. Additionally, while we took three screenshots, the app reported eight.

Second Test

To verify our findings, we repeated the test and sent a larger volume of messages. Again, device B took three screenshots, and one message was forwarded.

Despite the increased number of messages sent, the inconsistencies persisted. WA Wrapped still indicated that device B had taken eight screenshots and forwarded 18 messages. This suggests that the app may simply generate random numbers.

Other statistics, such as the overall number of messages sent, images, and voice messages appeared to be accurate. The first slide, showcasing your initial messages, is particularly charming. Alternatively, users can scroll to the first message in the chat manually.

Finally, we examined the exported file shared with WA Wrapped using a text editor. We found no trace of the number of screenshots taken or any other data that WA Wrapped claimed to recognize, such as whether messages had been forwarded.

Is ‘WA Wrapped’ Trustworthy?

We have serious doubts about the accuracy of the information provided by ‘WA Wrapped’ since the relevant data is absent from the shared file. While general statistics like the number of messages or frequently used terms seem correct, the app’s reliability is questionable.

In our quest to identify the entity behind this trending app, we discovered the absence of an official imprint. However, we traced the app back to ‘Tenacity Labs UG’ based in Berlin through Apple’s developer page. Limited information is available about the company, but we managed to locate one of its managing directors on LinkedIn.

He proudly shared insights about the app’s success, and we inquired about the source of some of the displayed data. Unfortunately, we have yet to receive a response.

According to WhatsApp’s privacy policy, messages are stored locally on users’ devices and protected by end-to-end encryption. WhatsApp clarifies that no personal data is collected or analyzed, making it improbable for the app to access data like the number of screenshots taken in a chat.

Final Thoughts

Regrettably, users can only access a limited portion of their Wrapped data for free with ‘WA Wrapped’. To unlock further insights, a fee of nearly 6 euros for a week is required—an amount we find excessive, especially given the questionable accuracy of the information. Additionally, it remains unclear what happens to your chat histories once uploaded. For those concerned about data privacy, it’s advisable to steer clear of ‘WA Wrapped’.

As an alternative, web tools such as WhatsAnalyze offer a free basic evaluation. For a comprehensive analysis, a one-time fee of 5 euros is charged. Developed by students, this application only summarizes genuine data, steering clear of unsubstantiated claims like the number of screenshots taken.

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