WhatsApp bug deletes old messages of some users, company promises fix

WhatsApp has promised to roll out a fix for users who lost their old WhatsApp messages due to a bug.

"We are aware of this bug and are working on a fix for the users who have encountered this issue," WhatsApp spokesperson said in a statement.

Last week many Android users complained that their old WhatsApp messages had mysteriously disappeared and that they were unable to retrieve them. WABetainfo reported that some users had been losing their chat data since last month.

"… Now trend has changed, every morning I find one or two chat history disappeared. I'm using Moto G4 Plus mobile and recently got to know through google search that there many people facing the same issue," wrote one user.

It was speculated that the messages were deleted due to the company's decision to delete chat archives from Google Drive for users who haven't backed up their data in more than one year.  

Even as WhatsApp is working to fix the glitch, another bug has surfaced online. Amazon Web Services employee Abby Fuller claimed that WhatsApp messages of the previous owner of the number were accessible to her. The new bug has raised concerns around privacy of WhatsApp messages.

"Logged into WhatsApp with a new phone number today and the message history from the previous number's owner was right there?! This doesn't seem right," Fuller said in a tweet.

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"Yes it was a new device. No it wasn't second hand. It was not a second hand SIM. Yes I'm sure they weren't my messages, or groups that I was added to. Yes they were in plaintext. I am sure it's my phone number. It was not restored from a backup," Fuller added.