WhatsApp recently announced that it will soon allow users to add contacts from any device, not just the primary phone, thus solving one of life’s minor annoyances. A future update will allow people to add and manage contacts through a web client, on a Windows PC and “eventually with other connected devices.”
Users will also be able to keep a contact only on WhatsApp without syncing to the phone, which is useful when sharing a handset with others or for those who manage work and personal WhatsApp accounts on the same device. Meta says this will also solve the problem of people losing all their contacts if they misplace the phone, as the contacts will be completely restored.
Even better? The company says this is the first step in what many consider the “holy grail” of potential development. WhatsApp recognizes usernames, so you won’t need to save someone’s phone number information. Meta says this will “add an extra level of privacy” as you can share a username without sharing a phone number.
The multi-device communication tool is rolling out gradually “over the coming weeks and months.” There is no ETA on dedicated usernames. WhatsApp has been busy lately, thanks to the . The app has just been launched and .