commit 46afe0b4cfec1c36fc451e6042be797a25925fa0
parent 446ab1b4766f1c7828d886917048de41dcb61b8a
Author: Amit Dutta <mail@amit.is-a.dev>
Date: Tue, 25 Aug 2026 14:03:53 +0530
Add FAQs for WhatsApp Logger
Diffstat:
1 file changed, 74 insertions(+), 0 deletions(-)
diff --git a/src/whatsapp-logger/faqs.md b/src/whatsapp-logger/faqs.md
@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
+---
+icon: question
+order: 100
+---
+
+# Frequently Asked Questions
+
+## General
+
+**Is this really free?**
+Yes. Render, Firebase, and UptimeRobot all have generous free tiers that are sufficient for personal use. You will typically never pay anything.
+
+**Is my data safe?**
+Absolutely. The entire system is self-hosted. You own the database (Firebase) and the server (Render). The developers of this tool have zero access to your data.
+
+**Does the developer see my chats?**
+No. The code connects directly from your Render server to your Firebase database using your personal API keys. There is no middleman server.
+
+**Is this legal?**
+The tool uses standard WhatsApp Web protocols to function as a linked device. It is intended for personal archiving of your own conversations.
+
+## Features & Limitations
+
+**Does it save photos/videos?**
+No. To keep the project free (Firebase offers limited storage), the logger only saves text content. Media files would fill up your free tier storage very quickly.
+
+**Does it save View Once messages?**
+No. WhatsApp does not send the content of "View Once" media to linked devices/web clients, so the logger cannot see them.
+
+**Does it save WhatsApp Status?**
+No, it cannot save WhatsApp statuses at this time. If you would like to add this feature to this project, please submit a pull request by uploading the updated code to [Github](https://github.com/notamitgamer/WhatsApp-Logger-Self-Hosted-/pulls).
+
+**Can I reply from the dashboard?**
+No. This tool is designed strictly as a read-only archive to ensure maximum safety and simplicity.
+
+**Does it work with Group Chats?**
+Yes! It automatically archives messages from any group you are part of, including messages sent by other participants.
+
+**Can I export my chats?**
+Yes. Inside any chat on the dashboard, open the menu (three dots) and select "Download" to get a `.txt` file of the conversation.
+
+## Technical Setup
+
+**What is Render?**
+Render is a cloud hosting platform. It provides the computer (server) that runs your logger 24/7 so your phone doesn't have to.
+
+**What is Firebase?**
+Firebase is Google's database service. While Render processes the messages, Firebase acts as the permanent hard drive where logs are stored.
+
+**Do I need my phone on 24/7?**
+No. Once you scan the QR code, the logger works independently via WhatsApp's Multi-Device feature. Your phone does not need to stay online continuously after linking.
+
+**What if Render sleeps?**
+If the server sleeps, you will miss messages sent during that time. This is why setting up UptimeRobot (Step 5) is critical—it keeps the server awake.
+
+**How do I update the logger?**
+In your Render dashboard, go to your service and click "Manual Deploy" -> "Deploy latest commit" to pull the newest code from GitHub.
+
+**Can I host this on a Raspberry Pi?**
+Yes. The backend is standard Node.js. You can clone the repo and run `npm install && npm start`. You still need Firebase for the database.
+
+**How much storage do I have?**
+The Firebase Free Tier (Spark Plan) gives you 1 GiB of storage. Since we only store text, this is enough for millions of messages.
+
+## Troubleshooting
+
+**Why is the QR code not loading?**
+Your Render server might be starting up or deploying. Wait 30 seconds and refresh the page. Check Render logs if the issue persists.
+
+**Why does it say "No chats found"?**
+The logger starts empty. It only records messages that arrive *after* you have linked it. Send a message to your phone to see it appear.
+
+**I forgot my App PIN/Password**
+On the lock screen, click "Forgot PIN". You can reset your local security using the server credentials (`AUTH_USER` and `AUTH_PASS`) you set in Render.
