WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging apps, with over 2 billion users worldwide. It allows you to easily communicate with your contacts through text messages, voice calls, video calls and more. One of the key features of WhatsApp is managing your contacts – you can add new ones, delete old ones and organize them into different groups. However, your WhatsApp contacts exist separately from the contacts you have saved on your phone. So what exactly happens to your non-WhatsApp contacts when you change your profile settings? Let’s take a closer look.
What are WhatsApp profile settings?
When you first set up WhatsApp on your phone, you are asked to create a profile. This includes setting a profile name, profile photo and status. You can access and edit your WhatsApp profile settings at any time by tapping the 3 dot menu in the top right and selecting Settings > Profile.
The key profile settings are:
- Profile Photo – Your profile picture that shows up next to your name in chats
- About – A short bio or description you can set about yourself
- Name – Your display name that shows up as your contact name for other users
- Status – A short text status message that shows up under your profile name
These settings only apply to how you appear within WhatsApp and do not affect any other contacts or profile information on your phone.
Non-WhatsApp contacts are separate
The contacts you have saved in your phone’s address book are completely separate from your WhatsApp contacts. WhatsApp pulls the names and numbers from your address book when you first set up the app to build your WhatsApp contact list. However, any later changes in your address book do not automatically sync to WhatsApp.
For example, if you save a new contact to your phone’s address book, it will not automatically show up as a WhatsApp contact. You have to manually add each new contact within WhatsApp.
Similarly, any changes you make to your WhatsApp profile will only affect how you appear in WhatsApp. Your profile name, photo and status on WhatsApp can be totally different from any other application on your phone.
Examples
- If you change your WhatsApp display name to a nickname, your regular name in your phone’s contacts app will remain unchanged.
- Adding a profile photo on WhatsApp does not set a profile photo for your account on any other apps.
- Your WhatsApp status does not update your status message on platforms like Instagram or Facebook.
So in summary, your non-WhatsApp contacts and profiles are completely separate silos from your WhatsApp information.
Linking contacts
While your WhatsApp contacts are separate, there are some ways to link them to non-WhatsApp contacts:
1. Inviting non-WhatsApp contacts to WhatsApp
If one of your existing phone contacts is not on WhatsApp already, you can easily invite them. WhatsApp will automatically detect if a phone number exists in your address book and allow you to send an invite. If they accept the invite, the contact will be added to your WhatsApp list.
2. Creating a new WhatsApp contact from existing information
When adding a new WhatsApp contact, you have the option to access your phone’s address book. You can select a non-WhatsApp contact and create a matching WhatsApp contact using their name and phone number.
3. Sharing contacts across apps
Some Android phones allow you to sync contacts across multiple apps through your Google account. Enabling this can share any new WhatsApp contacts back to your main address book. However, changes still only sync one way – from your address book to WhatsApp.
WhatsApp Business contacts
WhatsApp also offers a separate app called WhatsApp Business to allow businesses to communicate with customers. If you use WhatsApp Business, those business contacts are also completely separate from your personal WhatsApp and phone contacts. You cannot automatically transfer contacts between a personal and business account – these must be managed separately.
Managing your non-WhatsApp contacts
Here are some tips for managing your non-WhatsApp contacts and profiles:
- Use your phone’s address book app to edit contact details, add info like addresses, or delete contacts.
- Update your profile photo and other profile info in your phone’s settings app separate from WhatsApp.
- Frequently sync your WhatsApp by backing up chats or linking to services like Google Drive or iCloud.
- Export your non-WhatsApp contacts to a file to have a separate backup.
- Be careful when deleting contacts or messages in WhatsApp as these will not be deleted from your phone.
Keeping your WhatsApp contacts and non-WhatsApp address book properly synced and up-to-date takes a bit of manual management. But it ensures you always have the right contacts available across all your apps.
What happens when I change my number?
If you change your phone number, your non-WhatsApp contacts will automatically update if your SIM card number changes. However, your WhatsApp contacts will not carry over.
Here is what happens on WhatsApp when you change your number:
- You will lose access to your WhatsApp account on your old number.
- You can sign up for WhatsApp with your new number to start fresh.
- You can use the Change Number feature in WhatsApp to inform your existing WhatsApp contacts of your new number.
- Your chat history will be erased and cannot be restored.
So if you change your phone number, make sure to backup your WhatsApp chat history and export your WhatsApp contacts before you switch numbers. This will allow you to restore your WhatsApp contacts and chats after you set up your account on the new number.
What happens when I get a new phone?
Getting a new phone also severs the link between your WhatsApp and non-WhatsApp contacts. Here’s what to expect when getting a new device:
- Your regular contacts are usually backed up to the cloud and will transfer over once you log into your accounts.
- WhatsApp requires you to verify your number again on the new phone. Scan the QR code during setup to link your account.
- Be sure to create a backup from your old device before wiping it. This will let you transfer your WhatsApp chat history.
- You may still have to manually re-add certain WhatsApp contacts on the new phone.
So when moving between phones, multiple backups and syncs will be required to ensure a smooth transition for all your WhatsApp and non-WhatsApp contacts.
Conclusion
To summarize, your WhatsApp contacts and profile details are maintained exclusively within the WhatsApp ecosystem. They do not automatically sync across to your phone’s address book or other apps when making changes or switching devices. Careful backups and exports are required to manage both your WhatsApp and non-WhatsApp contacts. While it takes some extra work, keeping your contacts organized across all platforms ensures you never lose access to valuable contact information.