xposed-whatsapp

Utilising the Xposed framework, this module adds tweaks to make WhatsApp more useful to me. Currently includes:

• Removal of the voice and/or camera buttons from the conversation view
• The ability to keep the contact list (called "New Chat" in WhatsApp) in your history, so when you launch a conversation using it and then press the back button, it doesn't skip straight back to the main conversations list.
• Highlight groups in the conversations list
• Disable the WhatsApp expiry check, so you are not forced to update your version

Languages:

• English
• Polish
• Turkish
• German
• Arabic

Credits:

• Removal of camera/voice buttons by jaysh
• Keep contact list in history by jaysh
• Icon by Kucharskov (GitHub)
• Turkish translation by King ov Hell
• Polish translation (+ integration of Turkish) by Kucharskov (GitHub)
• German translation by mihahn (GitHub)
• Arabic translation by Salim.Keady

My extended thanks to the contributors.

Features available are detailed in the different sections.

Removal of the camera and/or voice buttons

Some time ago, WhatsApp added the "audio voice" feature. I found it hindered significantly more than it helped: if you tapped it accidentally, it would vibrate and emit a notification-like sound. And, I would do this repeatedly and so never found this useful (I don't use voice messaging).

More time passes, and they add a camera icon. This is more useful, and personally I'd prefer if that was the only one. So - I wrote this.

Before (with both camera and voice visible):

After (no voice, no camera):

After (no voice):

After (no camera):

(Note: in all cases, the "send message" button will appear after you start typing, as it always would. Additionally, disabling sending still allows you to receive them.)

I have tested it on my HTC One M7, using Android Revolution HD, but I have no reason to suspect it shouldn't work on other devices.

Keep contact list in the history

When navigating to a conversation via the "contact list" (main WhatsApp screen > "New Chat" on the action bar > Select a contact) and you press the back key, rather than returning to the contact list, it returns you back to the main WhatsApp screen with your list of conversations - which can be a little frustrating.

This mod allows you to "go back" to the contact list, so you can chat uninterrupted.

Highlight Groups

It isn't always easy to see at a glance which of your conversations are groups, and which are which other people. This mod allows you to highlight the group conversations in any colour of your choice.

Installation

To install, please ensure you first have:

1. Rooted your device
2. Installed the Xposed Framework

Then, you can just search for "WhatsApp Mods" on the store to install it.

Configuration

Here are all of the options you currently get to play with:

Troubleshooting & Support

If it feels like the module is doing nothing for you, please try enabling debugging mode from the settings, and send me the logs via the support thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/xposed/modules/mod-whatsapp-mods-remove-action-t2824732 (either reply to the thread or send me a private message).

Building the project

1. git clone https://github.com/jaysh/xposed-whatsapp.git
2. cd xposed-whatsapp
3. android update project --path . (where android is the SDK binary in the tools directory)
4. Run ant debug each time you want to build an APK
5. You can now adb install bin/xposed-whatsapp-debug.apk to your device

FAQs

What tools did you use to make this possible?

• Apktool 2 - to view Smali/Java, and step through code in jdb).
• JD-GUI - to convert Smali code into Java (mostly worthless, but nice for a general feel).
• adb shell dumpsys activity to see what activity is in the foreground, and inspect the history stack.
• jdb - to step through Smali, set breakpoints, and inspect variables
• Hierarchy Viewer to inspect layouts

Does it work with WhatsApp+ (WhatsApp Plus)?

Yes, based on the messages on the forum thread. However, there is no official support for it.