The worldwide famous cross-platform messaging application, Whatsapp, is certainly the best messaging software for smartphones users and has become a “must” for instant messaging.
The owner of new smartphones which run on Mozilla’s Firefox OS would probably know that Firefox marketplace doesn’t officialy support Whatsapp. However there are some options/tricks, including third-party clients, which bypass this problem and enable to chat with friends through Whatsapp.
The ConnectA2 app – Whatsapp Client for phones running on Firefox OS
This is an amazing 3rd-party client that can perform fundamental functions like sending videos, photos, and messages with ease that can be downloaded from here. Thanks to ConnectA2 app users also get other options, like setting chat backgrounds, setting status, and the creation of new groups. If enabled (in the configuration setting) this app can also run in background. This provides easy and quick notifications for the new messages when the app is minimized or closed. If there’re unread notifications, then they can be brought from notification center by swiping down. This 3rd-party app is available without any cost also on the Firefox Marketplace. The setup process is quite simple since it only involves entering the user’s name, selecting the country, and inputting the user’s phone number as on the official Whatsapp version. However, ConnectA2 app also has some drawbacks. The few drawbacks include no privacy options, a not-so-good UI and the inability to send or record audio, etc. Here is the setup and installation process of ConnectA2 for your FIREFOX Os Phone:
- Start by opening the Marketplace app on your Firefox phone
- Then look for ConnectA2 and install it
- After the installation process is done, open the app. Then enter the display name or username and choose the country. Finally enter your phone number.
- After this, wait few seconds for the arrival of an SMS code that will be sent to your phone. After receiving the code, you must enter it into ConnectA2 box.
- This completes the setup procedure. You can now begin utilizing the app.
The OpenWapp app – Another efficient alternative
This is another 3rd-party client for phones utilizing Firefox OS available here. Although it’s relatively new and not effective like ConnectA2, it’s suitable for those users who (for any reason) can’t download ConnectA2. The user’s Whatsapp account can also be activated or verified with this app as it was with ConnectA2. OpenWapp allows you to chat with friends and supported more advanced features compared to ConnectA2, including sending audio/video messages, pictures, emojis, etc.
The status message can also be altered easily from its settings. Real-time push notifications aren’t supported by OpenWapp yet and the app can check for background messages no sooner than one minute. Therefore, there’s a 1 minute delay for new notifications if the app is minimized or closed.
The Loqui IM app
Even this multi-platform messaging client for the Firefox-based phones is capable of supporting Whatsapp protocol. The app can be utilized as an alternative client for Whatsapp but also for chatting with others applications like:
- Hangouts from Google
- Nokia Ovi
- Nimbuzz
- Facebook Chat
- Microsoft Lync
- Other Jabber/XMPP provider
There’re some users who prefer Loqui IM app’s UI to OpenWapp. Indeed Loqui IM can be utilized for managing or controlling all the chats’ clients. It also supports different Whatsapp features including Notifications and Functions, but uploading or checking the attachments are not supported yet. Loqui IM can be also downloaded from Firefox’s Marketplace.
The Yosapp app – Another Alternative
Previously this app was available in its beta form and it included numerous features. Unlike the other applications mentioned before, this is a purely web app and it can be launched or run directly through Firefox browser. However the user doesn’t require installing Firefox Simulator. Therefore this app is perfect for users having low-configuration phones. The first beta versions didn’t support groups and contained lots of bugs but it’s constantly improving. Some of the limited functions provided in this app’s beta version includes:
- Connecting with the Whatsapp server
- Editing friends
- Deleting friends
- Addition of friends
- Receiving Video/Image
- Basic messaging with the phone numbers
The Wassap app
The last (but not least) client Whatsapp alternative for the Firefox OS-based phones is Wassap. The application is stable and performs smoothly. The application features numerous Whatsapp characteristics like getting notifications; creating groups, receiving pictures, videos, and audio; sending pictures and emoji; and the chat functions. However, it lacks many features like getting real-time notifications; seeing others’ status; removing/adding people from existing groups; etc.
Hope this can help… now enjoy Whatsapp on your Firefox os smartphone !