WhatsApp ‘s new In-App Cloud-based Contacts Saving Feature
Meta favorite message platform announced on Tuesday the introduction of its new WhatsApp cloud feature to allow users save contacts within the app without relying on the phonebook.
The latest WhatsApp cloud update from Meta means that in case users’ phones are lost or linked to a new device, contacts will still be available through the WhatsApp cloud.
This step is considered a major one, since the messaging app for now is dependent on the data provided by the mobile’s local system.
Until now, if users received a message from a new person and wanted to save their contact, the information would be stored locally on the device.
The new WhatsApp cloud feature changes this by allowing users to save contacts directly in WhatsApp across all platforms, including the web and Windows applications. Users can also sync contacts saved within the messaging platform to your phone’s contact list.
In a scenario where the phone gets lost or switched to a newer one, the contacts were usually lost unless the user applied other means to sync those contacts to their updated devices.
Juggle Between Accounts Easily
With WhatsApp cloud things will be managed through the new cloud-based contact saving system where these contacts will be available even when the user accesses WhatsApp through the web or through the desktop version on Windows.
Users can also choose to sync their WhatsApp contacts back to their phone’s contact list, thereby allowing people who would instead use both systems a little flexibility.
In 2023, WhatsApp gave users the ability to sign into two accounts on one device, streamlining the process for those who have personal and business accounts, by separating contacts
Storing the contacts within WhatsApp keeps each account’s contact list together, making it easy to manage sets of contacts.
More Encryption, More Privacy
The messaging app said it established a keen system of security, called Identity Proof Linked Storage (IPLS) where users save a contact, it works in securing the contacts saved within an app by generating an encryption key on the device.
The recovery of the contacts requires authentication of the identity of the main device, ensuring that the contacts remain private, protected from access by unauthorized persons.
WhatsApp is also collaborating with Cloudflare so that the change in any user’s contact directory is signed, meaning unauthorized persons cannot make any modification in the saved contacts, providing one more layer of security.
WhatsApp cloud has also given a hint that new technology behind this feature will lead to other upgrades, such as saving contacts by usernames, thereby making it much easier.
“Usernames on WhatsApp will add an extra degree of privacy so that you don’t need to share your phone number when messaging someone,” the company noted in a blog post.
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