Since the launch of the WhatsApp application about 15 years ago, the way of managing and storing contacts has remained the same, relying on numbers already saved in the phone’s memory or SIM card. The names used in the application are synchronized to enable communication and create conversations. When wanting to message a new contact via WhatsApp, their data must first be saved, which is then stored locally on the phone and not within the application itself. This hinders the ability to separate personal contacts from work contacts when using multiple WhatsApp accounts on the same phone. Luckily, Meta has decided to modify this method to be more similar to what is found in the giant competitor “Telegram,” allowing the new version of WhatsApp to store contacts directly within the app and link them to the user’s account. Let’s explain how this is done and how to activate the feature as it is disabled by default.
Storing Contacts in WhatsApp
How New Contacts are Stored in WhatsApp
In principle, the new feature is supposed to make it easier for users, especially those who rely on multiple phones and computers to access WhatsApp conversations continuously or use multiple accounts feature, to continue using the application without being preoccupied with the need to constantly sync different contacts between their devices. This feature stores all contacts within the app and makes them available via cloud storage, even if the phone is lost or a new device is linked to the primary number. When saving a new contact in the WhatsApp application on the phone, it is automatically synced across all other devices, including WhatsApp Web service and Windows and Mac applications. Saving new contacts is no longer limited to the phone app but to any of the mentioned official means of accessing WhatsApp, with an option that allows users to sync contacts saved within the app with the phone as well.
Meta has stated that this modification in WhatsApp’s handling of contacts is a prelude to allowing the saving of contacts using usernames, not phone numbers, in the future — following in the footsteps of Telegram and Signal.
Meta has also developed a new encrypted storage system called IPLS (Identity Proof Linked Storage) to ensure the secure storage of contacts within the WhatsApp application on users’ phones. This system uses a feature that allows users to verify the reliability of contacts stored on their WhatsApp accounts, with the ability to track any changes made to them.
In a data security enhancement effort, WhatsApp has partnered with “Cloudflare” to develop an independent verification system aimed at ensuring that WhatsApp contact data is not tampered with or altered, as well as allowing the transparency testing of authentication keys for end-to-end encrypted messages, ensuring that public encryption keys have not been modified by third parties during message exchange between chat parties.
Meta states that it relies on advanced encryption technology to ensure that phone numbers of stored contacts on the user’s phone and not registered in WhatsApp are not stored directly on WhatsApp servers but are encrypted with codes that do not reveal details of the original number when stored in WhatsApp servers, allowing the service to track any unusual activities or attempts to exploit the contact sync feature without the need for WhatsApp to track or store any personal data such as phone numbers.
Overall, the feature of saving contacts within the app provides a seamless user experience, allowing users easy access to their contacts when reinstalling WhatsApp, logging into a new device, or linking an additional device to their main account. Contact synchronization happens automatically, positively impacting the efficiency of using the most popular messaging service ever.
Activating the Feature of Saving Contacts within the App
Before starting to activate the feature, you first need to ensure that you have installed the latest versions of WhatsApp on your Android or iPhone, as the feature of saving contacts within the app should now be available and gradually reaching all Android and iPhone users worldwide. Simply go to the Play Store or App Store, then navigate to the Updates section and click on the “Update” button next to the “WhatsApp” application to download the latest available version of the app.
After updating, open the WhatsApp application on your phone and then press the options button represented by an icon (⁝) in the top left corner and from the drop-down menu click on “Settings,” or if you are using WhatsApp on an iPhone, you can go to “Settings” directly from the bottom bar after opening the application. Then go to the “Privacy” section, click on “Contacts,” and activate the “WhatsApp contacts” option to display an alert window indicating that current contacts will be stored and linked to your WhatsApp account, press “Turn On,” and the names will be silently saved – including the list of blocked contacts – to the WhatsApp cloud in the background.
From now on, wherever you log into your WhatsApp account, regardless of the device used, the same contacts with their data will be available on the app separately from the list of contacts stored locally on the phone. However, when trying to create new contacts in WhatsApp, whether from the app on the phone or WhatsApp Web service or Windows and Mac applications, you will find a new option on the contact information entry page, “Sync contact to phone,” which you can activate if you want to keep that contact on the phone’s memory or SIM card along with linking it to your WhatsApp account.
