I belong to a WhatsApp group, but the group members post unwanted messages every minute. I want to be a member of this group and receive only some important messages.
(Partially answering my own question)
The privacy policy section Information We Collect states:
You provide us the phone numbers in your mobile address book on a regular basis, including those of both the users of our Services and your other contacts. You confirm you are authorized to provide us such numbers.
Note that last sentence that you have to agree with.
So this answers that 'we'=WhatsApp Inc collects the information from my contact list. In how far this is passed on to 'Facebook' is unclear:
WhatsApp is part of the Facebook family of companies, and sharing some information allows us to coordinate more and improve experiences across our services and those of Facebook and the Facebook family.
Update March 2018, quoting from the NakedSecurity blog by Sophos:
Facebook: we won’t share data with WhatsApp (yet)
WhatsApp can’t share user data with parent Facebook without breaking the upcoming General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), so it won’t.
It’s signed a public commitment not to share personal data with Facebook until data protection concerns are addressed
So it seems that they don't but still want to if they can make it legally possible. No suprise there.
The blog post gives a good overview of past facts and intentions, including a reference to that March 2018 'public commitment' document signed by WhatsApp.
I will answer what did not work for me with my onePlus5t at OS Version 7.1.1 with several Versions of the WhatsApp Android App different Wifi Networks and Web Browsers:
- settings -> system -> developer options -> disabled doze mode
- settings -> battery -> Battery optimisation - > WhatsApp -> "dont optimize"
- Settings -> Apps -> Application List -> WhatsApp -> Data Usage -> Checked option: Unrestricted use of data
- Settings -> Wifi -> Configure Wifi -> Keep Wi-Fi on during sleep -> Always
All of this changes did not solve the problem that "Phone not connected" appears randomly. It seems to be that "Whats App Web" reconnects often automatically after some time and also instantly if I open the WhatsApp Android App in the OnePlus Phone.
Best Answer
The only possible way is for the members of the group to write the words "important message" as the headline or anywhere of the message before submitting it. When you want to find those messages again, you can open the group chat, tap the options on the upper right and tap "Search" then input the words, "important message". And it will highlight the words while enable you to select "next" and "previous" to find other important messages.
In order to do this ask the members to do exactly as said in the beginning. Tag, or write "important message" as headline.