Changes to WhatsApp: contact management and user names
An update for WhatsApp brings a major change to saving and accessing contacts. There will also soon be user names.
WhatsApp was previously reliant on the phone book of the smartphone on which it was installed: WhatsApp did not have its own contact management system. This is now set to change. It is also planned that the mobile number will no longer be visible when chatting.
WhatsApp gets contact management
In a blog post, the company announced that you can now save contacts directly in WhatsApp. This eliminates the need to synchronise between WhatsApp and your phone book. Previously, contacts that you added to your phonebook would also appear in WhatsApp shortly afterwards - even if the person wasn't using WhatsApp. And vice versa: A new contact created in WhatsApp was saved directly in the phone book.
"Soon" it should also be possible to add new contacts in the web version. This is not yet possible. If you want to start a chat in the browser, you can only choose from the contacts that are already stored
Contact management in WhatsApp has its advantages. For example, your phone book remains tidy and is not automatically filled with entries that you only use in WhatsApp. This is also interesting if you use several WhatsApp accounts on one device. The contacts stored in the WhatsApp cloud are also retained if you lose access to your phone and its contacts are only stored locally on the device.
If you want to continue using contact synchronisation, you can activate it for the contacts you want. Unfortunately, the announced changes have not yet reached me, so I cannot yet verify this myself.
Source: WhatsApp
Contacts are secured against unauthorised access according to WhatApp
The company wants to dispel security concerns about the storage of contact data in the cloud. It states that the contacts on the device are encrypted. Access to the cloud data is also only possible with the device that is linked to the account's mobile number. You can find more information here.
As WhatsApp is a closed system, it is not possible to track exactly what is happening and whether the security mechanisms are being implemented consistently.
User names should replace the mobile number
Your mobile number remains important to link your device to your account. However, it will no longer be passed on when chatting. Instead, you can search for usernames when adding new contacts. Your mobile number will then no longer be displayed in the chat. This is helpful when interacting with people you don't know closely and to whom you don't want to disclose your number.
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