Quick Answer: There are a few ways to check if a phone number has WhatsApp
There are a few different methods you can use to check if a phone number is registered with WhatsApp:
- Try sending a WhatsApp message to the number from your own account. If the message goes through and doesn’t give an error that the number isn’t registered, then the number has WhatsApp.
- Add the phone number to your phone’s contacts. Then open WhatsApp and check if the contact shows up. If it does, the number has WhatsApp.
- Use third party websites or apps that can check if a number is on WhatsApp by searching databases. However, these methods are not always accurate.
- Ask the person directly if they use WhatsApp and have them confirm their number.
The most surefire way is to simply send a WhatsApp message or add the number to your contacts and check within the app. This will let you know definitively if the number can receive WhatsApp messages.
Detailed Explanation
WhatsApp has become one of the most popular instant messaging apps worldwide, with over 2 billion active users. With so many people using it to stay connected, you may sometimes need to check if a particular phone number is registered with WhatsApp before messaging someone. There are a few easy ways to check if a phone number has WhatsApp or not:
1. Try sending a WhatsApp message
The most straightforward way is to simply try sending a WhatsApp message to the number you want to check from your own WhatsApp account. Here is how:
- Open the WhatsApp app on your phone.
- Tap on the “New Chat” button (the pencil icon on iOS or the speech bubble icon on Android).
- Enter the full phone number you want to check in the To field.
- Type out a test message like “Hi, just checking if this number has WhatsApp”.
- Hit send.
If your message goes through successfully, then the number definitely has WhatsApp registered to it. You’ll see the single tick that indicates the message has been sent.
However, if you see an error message that looks like “Message not sent. This phone number is not registered on WhatsApp”, then the number does not currently have WhatsApp.
The advantage of this method is that it gives you a definitive answer and is quick to try out. The only caveat is that you must have the number saved in your phone’s contacts for this to work. WhatsApp does not allow messaging unsaved numbers anymore.
2. Add the phone number to your contacts
Adding the phone number to your regular phone contacts and then checking it against WhatsApp is another great way to verify if the number has WhatsApp. Here is how to do this:
- Add the phone number to your contacts app with the person’s name if you know it.
- Open WhatsApp and tap on the “New Chat” icon.
- Look for the new contact you just added. If it shows up, then they have WhatsApp registered to that number.
- If the new contact does not show up in your WhatsApp contacts, then the number does not have WhatsApp.
The advantage of this method is that it will tells you definitively whether a number has WhatsApp or not. The disadvantage is that you need to have the number saved in your phone’s contacts first.
3. Use third-party WhatsApp number checker sites/apps
There are some third party websites and apps that allow you to enter a phone number to check if it has WhatsApp registered to it. These include sites like WhatsApp Lookup, TruthFinder and apps like Verify for WhatsApp.
The way they work is by searching their databases of WhatsApp registered numbers to see if the number you entered exists. If they find a match, they will inform you that the number does have WhatsApp.
The advantage of these tools is that you don’t need to have the number saved in your contacts. However, the accuracy can sometimes be unreliable since they depend on their own databases. Some numbers maybe missing from their records.
4. Ask the number’s owner directly
The most foolproof method is to simply ask the person who owns the phone number directly if they use WhatsApp and have them confirm their number.
You can ask them through a phone call, text message or in person. Say something like:
“Hi, I wanted to check if you use WhatsApp and if this [say their full number] is correct?”
This eliminates any uncertainty since you get confirmation straight from the source. The only caveat is that you may not always be able to get in touch with the number’s owner.
Useful Tips
Here are some useful tips when checking if a phone number has WhatsApp:
- Always enter the full phone number in international format. WhatsApp requires adding the country code.
- Double check that you have entered the number correctly to avoid errors.
- Save the number in your phone’s contacts if you plan to message it on WhatsApp.
- Be aware that some phone numbers may have WhatsApp blocked or may have changed services.
- If the number used to have WhatsApp but doesn’t show up anymore, it’s likely they may have deactivated WhatsApp.
Why Check if a Number has WhatsApp
Here are some common reasons why you may want to check if a phone number has WhatsApp before messaging:
- To avoid unknown numbers: By checking beforehand, you avoid the awkward situation of messaging someone who doesn’t use WhatsApp.
- To confirm a contact: It helps confirm you have the right contact number for someone before messaging.
- For customer communication: Businesses may want to check if a customer’s number works on WhatsApp before contacting.
- To troubleshoot issues: If your WhatsApp messages are not going through, checking if the number has WhatsApp can help identify issues.
- To reach someone: You may need to reach someone urgently and want to confirm WhatsApp is the best way.
Knowing if a number is on WhatsApp or not in advance saves you time and avoids potential confusion down the line. It only takes a few seconds to perform a quick check using one of the methods outlined above.
Risks of Third-Party WhatsApp Number Checkers
While third party websites and apps that check if a phone number has WhatsApp can be convenient, there are some risks to be aware of:
- Accuracy is not 100% guaranteed, since the databases may not contain all numbers.
- Spam risk – Some sites may sell your number or use it for spam.
- Privacy issues – Number could be collected and used without consent.
- Some sites are free to use but contain many ads.
- May need to pay for premium services for full features.
- Limited service – Most third-party services only tell you if a number exists on WhatsApp.
To avoid these risks, it’s recommended to use the official WhatsApp app’s messaging feature or contact addition to reliably check if a number can use WhatsApp. Or simply ask the contact directly to confirm their number.
How WhatsApp Checks Phone Numbers
WhatsApp has a robust system to verify phone numbers and detect registered accounts. Here is some insight into how WhatsApp checks and confirms phone numbers:
- Phone number identification – WhatsApp detects the country code to identify numbers.
- Automated verification – It uses automated systems to detect valid and invalid formats.
- Number lookup – The number is matched against WhatsApp’s internal databases of registered users.
- Registration checks – It checks if the number was previously registered and verifies the device.
- Security code sent – WhatsApp sends a 6 digit code to confirm and activate the number.
- Notifications – A notification is sent to the user when the number is registered on a new device.
By using these mechanisms, WhatsApp aims to ensure every number is verified correctly. Users also have the option to block contacts and report unsolicited messages if needed.
Conclusion
Checking if a phone number is registered on WhatsApp is easy to do before messaging new contacts. The best methods are to try sending a WhatsApp message directly or adding the number to your phone’s contacts and checking it against WhatsApp. For fast confirmation, asking the number’s owner directly if they use WhatsApp will also give you a definitive answer.
While third party websites and apps can check WhatsApp numbers, they have some limitations and risks compared to WhatsApp’s official methods. To avoid issues, it’s best to rely on adding numbers to your contacts and messaging from WhatsApp itself for the most accurate check.