WhatsApp Introduces Built-in Contact Manager for Enhanced User Experience

Tuesday, 22 October 2024, 08:18

WhatsApp is introducing a built-in contact manager that allows users to save contacts directly within the app. This innovative feature aims to ensure that users do not lose contacts even when switching devices. Utilizing a new privacy-preserving technology called IPLS, WhatsApp enhances contact management for users with multiple accounts or shared devices.
Theverge
WhatsApp Introduces Built-in Contact Manager for Enhanced User Experience

The New Built-in Contact Manager

WhatsApp is getting a built-in contact manager that lets you save contacts within the app so you don’t lose them if you switch phones.

Addressing User Concerns

WhatsApp typically relies on the smartphone address book to hold and manage contacts, which can be a problem for users who lose their device and fail to back up their phone’s contacts, those who share phones, or individuals managing multiple accounts with separate contacts on one device.

How It Works

  • Begin saving contacts on WhatsApp Web and Windows.
  • Meta plans to extend this feature to other linked devices.
  • Contacts saved in WhatsApp use a privacy-preserving storage technology called Identity Proof Linked Storage (IPLS).

This technology keeps names and numbers encrypted and accessible only to the user.

Future Developments

Jessica Maskell from WhatsApp revealed that this new contacts feature will soon be complemented by a username system, allowing users to operate without needing phone numbers, a trend also seen in other end-to-end encrypted messaging apps like Signal.


This article was prepared using information from open sources in accordance with the principles of Ethical Policy. The editorial team is not responsible for absolute accuracy, as it relies on data from the sources referenced.


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