Meta-owned instant messaging platform WhatsApp is working on a new contact syncing experience to improve privacy. WABetaInfo reports that the unreleased feature is now being rolled out through WhatsApp beta for iOS v24.20.10.76 and is available to select beta users.
In other words, WhatsApp is working to change how you save and manage contacts on your WhatsApp account. According to the website's information, a future version of WhatsApp will let you choose whether to save a contact only to your WhatsApp account or store it on your phone's Contacts app as well.
Users will be able to add and manage contacts easily from linked devices. WhatsApp is working to reduce dependency on the primary device by allowing users to save contacts from their linked devices, which will be synced automatically across all devices.
As per the screenshot of the feature, an option called "WhatsApp contacts" will save users' contacts to their accounts and automatically restore them when they change devices or reinstall the app. The website notes that if users choose to disable contact syncing on WhatsApp, the company won't store their contacts on its servers or share them with Meta.
For contacts who don't have a WhatsApp account, the company will create cryptographic hashes to protect their identity and privacy. This will further allow WhatsApp to prevent misuse of the feature by people who might try to upload numbers to check who uses WhatsApp.
In addition to iOS, WhatsApp is baking the feature for Android devices as well. In the coming weeks, the feature will roll out to more users. WhatsApp is also working on several other features expected for a future release.
For instance, a new feature allows users to prioritize notifications for group chats, and channels will get a new analytics section. WhatsApp recently announced new filters and backgrounds for video calls for its stable version and rolled out status likes and private mentions.
Source and image: WABetaInfo
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