On Tuesday, WhatsApp revealed a new feature that will let users store contacts inside the program. This implies that all of your contacts are kept in WhatsApp’s cloud storage, even if you misplace your phone or connect a new device to your primary number.
WhatsApp used to sync contacts using the contact book on your phone. The information would be saved locally on your smartphone if you chose to save the details of a new user who messaged you on the app.
The new feature, which will be available soon, allows you to keep contacts on any platform, including Windows and web versions of WhatsApp. Additionally, you have the option to sync contacts that you have stored on WhatsApp to your phone.
The business started enabling users to access two WhatsApp accounts on a single smartphone last year. If you wish to keep your personal and business contacts apart, it’s useful to save contacts connected to a single WhatsApp account. Additionally, you can keep your own contact list connected to your number if you share the device with other people.
WhatsApp claimed to have created Identity Proof Linked Storage (IPLS), a new encrypted storage technology, to facilitate safe contact storage. The technology creates an encryption key on the smartphone when users store a contact. The client must authenticate its primary device identification in order for the retrieval to occur.
To sign any modifications to a user’s directory’s cryptographic attributes, the app is also collaborating with Cloudflare. This process, according to Meta, makes sure that contacts saved in WhatsApp haven’t been altered.
According to the corporation, the technology underlying the contact storage capability would enable the saving of contacts by login.
In a blog post, the business stated that “Usernames on WhatsApp will add an extra degree of privacy so that you don’t need to share your phone number when messaging someone.”
For a while now, the feature has been in development. According to a WABetaInfo article from May 2023, WhatsApp has been working on adding usernames to the app. Telegram and Signal, two competitors of WhatsApp, both allow users to share their username with others without disclosing their contact information.
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