- WhatsApp is testing a new contact syncing that lets users choose whether they want to sync their contacts across linked devices.
- Users will be able to choose whether they want to save contact to their address book or directly within WhatsApp.
- Available to select users on iOS, the new feature resides in the privacy panel of the WhatsApp settings page.
Last year, with the rollout of multi-account functionality, WhatsApp enhanced the way users could manage their accounts. Then, fast forward to September, we learned that WhatsApp was testing a new Contact Syncing feature for Android users. Now, according to a new report, this very feature is being tested on WhatsApp for iOS as well.
The new Contact Syncing feature, as spotted in WhatsApp beta for iOS 24.20.10.76, offers users the control to decide whether they want to synchronize their WhatsApp contacts across linked devices or not. This is particularly helpful for users like me who don’t stick to one phone and have multiple linked devices, especially when I’m testing them (read my latest Pixel 9 review). In that case, I don’t have to rely on the main phone to constantly add or update contacts.
In other words, Contact Syncing is “device-based,” letting users enable or disable it on their linked devices accordingly.
From the looks of it, the Privacy panel in WhatsApp settings lists the new WhatsApp contacts toggle. Additionally, users can also choose whether they want to sync contacts with their phone’s address book or store them directly within WhatsApp.
WABetaInfo also notes that those who choose to toggle off Contact Syncing on WhatsApp will not have their contacts stored on Meta’s servers anymore, or “share them with Meta or other Meta companies for external use.”
WhatsApp’s new contact management system also wraps contact lists up in a new layer of security, thanks to cryptographic hashes for individual contacts. The report mentions, “By creating cryptographic hashes for phone numbers, WhatsApp can monitor and detect any unusual changes in address books, such as those that may indicate misuse of the contact upload feature in an attempt to discover who uses WhatsApp.”
Furthermore, this security layer processes it all without tracking or comparing individual numbers, “making it a robust privacy measure that protects user information while still allowing WhatsApp to identify potential abuse.”
Another important thing to note about this feature is that if you have disabled contact sharing for a secondary device, you will still be able to talk to your existing contacts without losing access to them. Although, you won’t be able to discover contacts from that particular device anymore.
Once official, the contact syncing feature for WhatsApp will be available on both iOS and Android. What do you think about this upcoming feature? Drop your thoughts in the comments below!
