WhatsApp has officially announced that it is rolling out a new privacy feature to all users that allows them to choose how and where their contacts are stored across multiple devices.
With the help of the new feature, users can either keep contacts stored within WhatsApp or sync them with their phone’s address book, giving them better control over contact management.
The Meta-owned instant messaging app’s exciting new feature can be accessed through the option available within WhatsApp Settings > Privacy > Contacts > WhatsApp Contacts.
According to WABetaInfo, the new feature also allows users to add and edit their contacts across their linked devices.
One of the most useful aspects of this update is a new toggle labeled “Sync contact to phone” that appears when users add a new contact.
This toggle lets users decide whether they want to sync a particular contact to their phone’s address book or keep it stored only in WhatsApp.
If users choose to maintain certain contacts exclusively within WhatsApp, then the chosen contacts will not appear in the phone’s general contact list.
Additionally, WhatsApp has also introduced a new storage system called Identity Proof Linked Storage (IPLS), which securely stores contact information and allows users to restore their contacts even if they lose their phone.
This system implements Key Transparency, ensuring that users can verify the authenticity of their contacts and track any changes made to their identity keys.
To enhance security further, WhatsApp has partnered with Cloudflare, which provides independent verification to ensure that contact data is not tampered with.
Moreover, by using cryptographic hashes, WhatsApp protects the phone numbers of contacts who do not have an account on the app, without storing or sharing details on its servers.
It is worth noting that contacts stored in WhatsAp will also be automatically restored when users reinstall the app, change phones, or link a new device.
This feature is available to users who install the latest updates of WhatsApp for Android from the Google Play Store and WhatsAp for iOS from the App Store, and it is rolling out to even more people over the coming days.