Whatsapp uses a variety of XMPP to communicate, and people have figured out how to do XMPP<->Whatsapp bridges. See:
You can probably find a XMPP server that has yowsup2 and transWhat installed so you can use the Librem 5’s Chatty (which is a XMPP client) to communicate with Whatsapp, or you can install these programs yourself in the Librem 5. I haven’t tried it myself, so maybe I’m overlooking something, but some people have gotten it to work.
By the way, you can also replace Outlook with the Geary email app.
If you use your phone for work purposes I wouldn’t rely on a librem 5 or pinephone. Check out rob braxman on YouTube, he sells degoogled phones and has many videos about privacy. In all honesty this phone isn’t for most people, it’s not there yet and if you rely on your phone to make money you will be losing lots of it buying this phone.
I’m not a fan of any of the ‘world leaders’ who seek to exploit and claim they don’t! My main issue is that I do need some things to work as I would struggle without them.
How do you find your Pinephone? I looked into a while ago when they hit the trade press but felt they were too immature with few apps for normal use at that time.
oooh that looks doable! I’m no techno wizard but I am reasonably competant
I’ve not looked into open source apps for some time (I have a version of mint dual booted) so I can give that one a try as I would prefer to use linux in most cases but the open source office apps destroy the formatting so I cant use them - unless there is a way around it I’ve not found?
Thanks admsjas, I dont use it make money so I guess I could use an old phone to remain contactable.
Is there something I’m missing with the phone? At first glance it does seem to do the job…
I’ll be honest (as always): Forget about it as daily driver at the time being. But get one. Get used to the look and feel. Play with it. Support the community by giving feedback, support Pine64 by buying one.
Really, it is fun .
Even more important: Get your Librem5. I’m waiting happily for it. I paid for the app crowdfounding idea by Purism and I would pay for Librem.one if they’d charge me with the optional payment for the basic account.
They pay people to make the Librem5 into your daily driver and this work also goes down to the Pinephone (the same way all the work on Mobian for the Pinephone supports the PureOS Librem5 development).
To start an ecosystem for Linux phones there need to be customers - even though if the early ones to get toys and probably pay more then the ones buying from an established market.
If it is within your financial possibilities and if you do not like to use the products of google and apple be a patient customer willing to invest into a new and evolving market.
I dont know which apps you use but vendor specific apps aren’t going to work, they’re not designed for arm. For instance the chase app i use will not work on a pinephone or a librem. Right now I’m employed full time by an employer but in a few years I will probably go back to 1099 work and when I do I want to know I can rely on my phone to do business. Neither pinephone nor librem can provide that level of comfort. If you’ve got the money to buy one and test things out thats one thing, if you don’t you’ll be sorry and have many moments of regret
I used to tinker quite a bit a few years ago (before moving into prog mgmnt I was a hands on techie) but these days I dont have the time play - sadly. That being said I absolutely agree with your point about customers!
TBH I’m down to either this or the fairphone and I’m exploring which is the closest fit. Some things will need to go - no doubt about it, but some I do need to keep and find a way to run them on the new device.
I’ll have a better look over the weekend and think a little more, but on reflection I think the banking apps are going to make or break what happens next.
TBH I dont care about vendor specific apps & would ahppily give them up - all I care about is the functionality offered and the ability to stay in touch when I’m travelling.
On an unrelated note, the Librem seems to be set up for the US market - I’m in the UK so will need to check compatibility…
You state you don’t care about vendor specific apps yet in the previous comment state the importance of banking apps making or breaking a decision???
I have heard for those in the EU banking apps have become critical, in the US they’re not AS critical but I still use mine and would not like to have to do without it. I think a degoogled phone is your best option.
I assumed that this was a reference to the Microsoft Authenticator app. Things from Microsoft don’t generally play well with anything else - and you would likely be better off running the actual app under Anbox, if it works.
You state you don’t care about vendor specific apps yet in the previous comment state the importance of banking apps making or breaking a decision???
I care about the services they offer, not vendor specific apps (who produces them).
I dont care how I reach the service, its about reaching the online service.
Over here banks are closing at frightening rate and cash is deemed to be ‘dirty’ and I’ve had some places try to refuse it - until I told them I would leave their shop! Thats how stupid it is here!
I’m very well aware what’s going on in the financial sector, it’s definitely a planned move to force everyone into digital currency. It’s not as big a push here in the US
Yet. But it will be eventually if the plans keep progressing.
Starling bank (and Monzo) until very recently provided no other option - they only had mobile apps. They’ve recently add online (web) banking though so you should be able to use that for most functionality (you still need the app to sign up in the first place though).
That said they also provide API access so it seems relatively feasible to build a GTK front end for that, at least for personal use.
- so come the day that my Librem 5 arrives, I will at least be trying it under Anbox.