Several users of the messaging application have reported a bug in WhatsApp that prevents the microphone from being deactivated.
Several WhatsApp users have reported problems with the instant messaging application in its version for Android over the last few weeks. They warn that the app is causing the microphone to remain active, even when the app is not in use. The failure seems to affect mobiles of all kinds and of all brands, as they have revealed through the portal PiunikaWeb.
The first notices go back a little over a month, and in most cases, the affected users explain that the active microphone indicator Introduced on Android several years ago is present at all times in the system status bar. To check which app keeps the microphone on through the privacy control panel of the system, it can be determined that WhatsApp seems to be the culprit.
WhatsApp believes that the problem is from Google
Foah Dabiri, developer of Twitter, was one of the first people to bring the problem to light. Account that WhatsApp seems to have accessed the microphone every few minutes, even when the app was not being used and the phone was sitting idle.
But WhatsApp believes that it is not his fault. In a statement issued through its Twitter profile, the company assures that it has been investigating the failure and blames it on a bug present in Android, which has already been reported to Google to fix it as soon as possible.
Over the last 24 hours we’ve been in touch with a Twitter engineer who posted an issue with his Pixel phone and WhatsApp.
We believe this is a bug on Android that mis-attributes information in their Privacy Dashboard and have asked Google to investigate and remedy. https://t.co/MnBi3qE6Gp
— WhatsApp (@WhatsApp) May 9, 2023
They also take the opportunity to remember that user has full control over microphone access by the app, and that WhatsApp only takes advantage of the permission that grants access to this element when it is strictly necessary, such as when recording a voice message or making a call through WhatsApp.
For now, there is no solution for the problem beyond prevent WhatsApp from accessing the system microphone. But since doing so limits some of the app’s features, it’s probably not an entirely convenient move for most users of the messaging service.
Google, for its part, has not spoken about it and it’s not clear if he’s actively working on fixing the problem.
