New features of WhatsApp 2024: Making it easier to manage your contacts

WhatsApp is now making it easier too add contacts to different devices other than your smartphone. Photo by DENIS CHARLET / AFP)

WhatsApp is now making it easier too add contacts to different devices other than your smartphone. Photo by DENIS CHARLET / AFP)

Published 12h ago

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WhatsApp is making it easier for users to add and mange their contact, according to a statement from the social media platform.

“Today we’re making it easier to privately add and manage your contacts on WhatsApp, from any device you may be using,” WhatsApp said.

Initially, the only place users could add contacts was from their mobile devices by typing in a phone number or scanning a QR code.

Soon, users will be able to add and manage contacts from by using their keyboards on WhatsApp Web or Windows and eventually other linked devices.

— WhatsApp (@WhatsApp) October 22, 2024

According to the social media platform, WhatsApp will also be introducing a new choice to save a contact exclusively to the platform.

“These WhatsApp contacts are ideal for when you are sharing your phone with others or if you want to separate personal and business contacts when managing more than one WhatsApp account on your phone,” WhatsApp said.

Contacts that have been saved to WhatsApp will be restored if users lose their smartphone or change their devices.

With these updates it will also be possible to eventually manage and save contacts by usernames.

The usernames on WhatsApp will give users an extra degree of privacy so that they do not need to share their phone number when messaging someone, according to WhatsApp.

WhatsApp in South Africa

According to the findings of the The Media and Digital Platforms Market Inquiry (MDPMI), WhatsApp the third most popular platform for news consumption in South Africa.

The MDPMI is a nationwide survey that examines how South Africans consume news via digital platforms.

The report showed that 46% respondents used WhatsApp for news consumption. Facebook was the most popular social media platform for news consumption, used by 84% of respondents with TikTok following second place with 47%.

Rounding up the top five platforms for news consumption is YouTube (45%), and X, which was formerly known as Twitter (30%).

IOL Technology