WhatsApp has announced a game-changing feature for contact management, allowing users to save and manage their contacts in a cloud-based system. This means that users can separate their personal and business contacts, keeping them isolated from their device’s phonebook.
When adding a new contact, users can opt to save the contact exclusively to WhatsApp, without saving their phone number on their device. This new feature is accessible through the “Sync contact to phone” option on the contact creation screen.
WhatsApp has designed this feature with security and convenience in mind. All contacts saved within the platform are encrypted using their Identify Proof Linked Storage (IPLS) technology, ensuring that they are safe and secure.
In the event of a device change or loss, WhatsApp will automatically restore the contact list to the new device, giving users peace of mind. Additionally, users can access and manage their WhatsApp-exclusive contacts across linked devices, including WhatsApp Web and desktop apps.
According to WhatsApp, separating personal and business contacts is a prime use case for this feature. Users can save personal contacts on their phone and business contacts on WhatsApp, for instance. This feature is part of the company’s long-term plan to let users save and manage contacts by username, which would increase privacy by eliminating the need to reveal or share phone numbers.
The new contact syncing option will be rolled out to all WhatsApp users globally in the coming weeks. To take advantage of this feature, ensure you have the latest version of WhatsApp installed on your mobile device and computer, as well as your web browser if you use WhatsApp Web.
To learn more about this new approach to contact management, check out WhatsApp’s official announcement.
