It will now be easier for WhatsApp users to manage their contacts on mobile phones. As the company said on TuesdayAnnounced in a blog postContacts will be saved locally directly in the app in the future. As of now it is only possible to access contact information in WhatsApp through the mobile phone’s internal address book.
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WhatsApp previously relied on the phone’s address book to store, manage, and synchronize contacts. This is problematic if a user loses his smartphone and has not backed up his contacts. Then the contact information cannot be rebuilt in the new WhatsApp installation. Difficulties may also arise when several people share one phone or for someone who wants to manage multiple accounts with different contacts on the same mobile phone.
Local storage and sync with WhatsApp Cloud
In the future, WhatsApp will solve the problem by storing contact information locally on the device and synchronizing it with the WhatsApp Cloud. For example, if a mobile phone is lost, contact details can be retrieved from the cloud on a new device and then available to the user again. This is also possible if you change your smartphone. The same applies to other devices using WhatsApp Web, apps for Windows or macOS. Saved contacts will also be synchronized with it in future.
Apple Intelligence: At least two years behind the competition?For storage, WhatsApp uses a new encrypted storage system called Identity Proof Linked Storage (IPLS). When saving a contact, the system generates a key on the device. When a contact is retrieved, the client authenticates its identity. The app also works with services from Internet security company Cloudflare. All changes to the cryptographic properties of the user directory are signed. WhatsApp wants to make sure that no one has changed the contacts stored in WhatsApp.
By storing contact details locally, they can also be better organized. For example, it is possible to manage personal and business contacts separately if more than one WhatsApp account is used on the device. Additionally, contacts can now be saved and managed according to the user’s name. You no longer need to enter a telephone number if you want to get in touch. This is then possible by entering the username.
Newly created contacts in WhatsApp can be synchronized with the cell phone’s address book. WhatsApp provides a corresponding switch for this in every contact.
The new functions should be available in the coming days and weeks in the apps for Android and iOS, as well as WhatsApp Web, Windows, and macOS.
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Apple Intelligence: At least two years behind the competition?
