WhatsApp’s New Contact Syncing Feature
WhatsApp is testing a new Contact Syncing feature to give users more control over their contacts across linked devices. Spotted in WhatsApp beta for iOS (24.20.10.76), this feature allows users to choose whether they want to sync their contacts across all devices or not. This is especially useful for those with multiple devices who no longer need to depend on a single phone to manage their WhatsApp contacts.
This new functionality is device-based, meaning users can enable or disable contact syncing on a per-device basis. Users can also choose to sync contacts with their phone’s address book or store them directly within WhatsApp itself.
Additionally, if users opt to turn off Contact Syncing, their contacts will no longer be shared with Meta’s servers or any other Meta-owned companies. This added privacy feature uses cryptographic hashes to protect contacts, making it a more secure method of managing contact lists without tracking or comparing individual numbers.
Even when contact syncing is disabled for a secondary device, users can still communicate with their existing contacts, though they won’t be able to discover new ones on that device.
Once this feature is officially released, it will be available on both iOS and Android, bringing a new layer of privacy and flexibility to WhatsApp’s contact management.
