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WhatsApp app crashes with this link

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Photo by Dima Solomin on Unsplash

Messages containing a specific URL linking to Whatsapp settings are causing the app to crash. We first noticed this in the 2.23.11.12 WhatsApp Beta version when a link to the URL http://wa.me/settings posted on a group chat crashed the app immediately. We can confirm that sending the link to group and personal conversations caused the crash. Pasting the link in WhatsApp also causes the chat to close.

WhatsApp Crashing Bug
WhatsApp Android App crash on opening the link. Image Credits: The Techtellectual

Troubleshooting steps like clearing the cache do not seem to work as of writing. The only remedy to the crash is opening WhatsApp Web on a laptop or PC and deleting the problematic message. However, we would recommend readers against clicking the link on WhatsApp Web as it opens up the option for forwarding the link, hinting at the possibility of a malicious angle.

Clicking the link in PC opens the forward chat option.
Clicking the link on PC opens the forward chat option. Image Credits: The Techtellectual

We hope WhatsApp patches this issue quickly, as it can be easy for bad actors to wreck group chats, preventing participants from reading messages and admins from taking action. We can confirm that the issue exists on both the regular and beta variants of WhatsApp for Android and does not affect non-beta iPhone users do far.

Sharing this article with family and friends can help prevent them from experiencing incessant crashing and allow admins in charge of groups to watch for these types of messages.

Did you experience this glitch in WhatsApp? Let us know in the comments down below.

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About Paul Jacob

Paul’s journey with computers began over a decade ago when he started tinkering with 3D modelling in SketchUp (back when it was owned by Google!). Wanting to learn more about what goes on under the hood, he began tearing down any PC, laptop or smartphone he could lay his hands on. His adventures led to the bricking of a smartphone, but over time allowed him to repair and spare gadgets from becoming e-waste. He is a Mechanical and Physics graduate from BITS Pilani, and has been in the tech journalism industry for the past 5 years. He also is active academically, having published a paper in BMEL. Today, you can find him tinkering with HPCs in his homelab to get the maximum performance in CFD simulations, or fine-tuning his heavily modified Ender 3 printer for the maximum speed.

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