WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging apps in the world, with over 2 billion active users. One of the key privacy features it offers is the ability to hide your phone number from other users. This prevents people you don’t know from seeing your number and contacting you outside of WhatsApp.
How does the phone number privacy feature work?
By default, when you sign up for WhatsApp, your phone number is visible to all other users in their contacts list and group info screens. However, WhatsApp allows you to opt out of this visibility.
To enable the phone number privacy feature, go to WhatsApp Settings > Account > Privacy and toggle on “Nobody.” This will hide your phone number from everyone else on WhatsApp.
With this setting enabled, other users will not see your number in their contacts list. Instead, they will see the text “You” or your WhatsApp nickname if you have set one. Your number will also be hidden in any groups you are a part of.
If someone tries to add you as a contact, they will see an anonymous placeholder number instead of your actual number. When you call or message someone who has enabled this feature, your phone log will not show their number either.
Who can still see your number with this feature enabled?
While your number is hidden from all other users, there are still a few places where it may be visible:
- Group admins – If you are in groups, the group admins will still be able to see your phone number.
- Your contacts – If someone already has your number saved in their phone’s contacts, they will still see it on WhatsApp.
- When you call – Your number will show up when you make an audio or video call, even if the other person has you saved in their phone.
So in summary, this feature prevents your number from being visible to new contacts and group members, but does not completely hide it from everyone.
Why would you want to enable number privacy?
There are a few key reasons you may want to hide your phone number on WhatsApp:
- Avoid spam/unwanted contact – Enabling this prevents strangers from contacting you outside of WhatsApp if they get your number.
- More privacy – Your exact contact details are hidden from non-contacts.
- Avoid misuse – You have more control over who can see your number, preventing abuse or harassment.
For many people who use WhatsApp as their primary messaging service, this added layer of privacy is valuable. It allows you to selectively share your number only with people you trust.
Are there any downsides to enabling this feature?
The phone number privacy feature does have some potential downsides to be aware of:
- You have to share your number manually with new contacts. They can’t simply add you from their contacts list.
- It may be slightly less convenient to make audio/video calls.
- If you need to change your number, you’ll have to notify all contacts manually.
- Some business features rely on your number being visible.
However, for most personal users, the extra privacy and control outweigh these minor inconveniences. Many people consider this feature essential for avoiding spam and protecting their personal details.
How to find someone’s number if they have enabled number privacy
If someone has enabled the phone number privacy feature, there are still a couple of ways you can find their number:
- Ask them directly to share their number – This is the simplest and most straightforward method.
- Look in groups you have in common – As mentioned, group admins can still see participant numbers.
- Check your phone’s call log after an audio/video call with them.
- Use a third-party contacts management app that may have stored their number previously.
- Search for their number on sites like Truecaller if they have published it publicly.
However, if the user wants to keep their number private from you, it’s best to respect their preferences and not try to uncover it against their wishes.
Can you enable number privacy on just specific contacts?
Unfortunately, the WhatsApp number privacy setting is all-or-nothing. You can’t pick and choose which contacts can see your number.
Once enabled, it hides your number from everyone except your existing contacts and group admins. There is no way to only enable it for certain contacts.
The only alternative is to entirely block contacts you don’t want contacting you outside of WhatsApp. But this also removes the ability to receive messages from them within WhatsApp.
Does this work on WhatsApp Business accounts?
WhatsApp Business accounts have additional settings to control number privacy.
Like regular accounts, Business accounts can enable “Nobody” to hide the phone number. But there is also an extra “Contacts Except…” option.
This allows businesses to show their phone number to all their customers, while hiding it from non-contacts. This makes it easier for businesses to maintain privacy without losing discoverability.
Can you get banned or blocked for trying to get around someone’s number privacy?
Trying to uncover someone’s private number against their wishes is unethical and an invasion of privacy. However, WhatsApp does not directly penalize users for doing this through their policies.
That said, repeatedly harassing someone who has clearly hidden their number from you may get you blocked by the user themselves. And consistently sharing private numbers without consent may get you banned from WhatsApp groups or services that expose this information.
The best approach is to respect other users’ privacy. If someone wants you to have their number, they will share it with you directly.
Is phone number privacy enabled by default?
No, the phone number privacy setting is opt-in rather than default. Users must manually enable it through their WhatsApp settings.
By default, all users display their full phone numbers publicly to all other users. So enabling number privacy adds an extra layer of control.
However, since this feature was introduced in late 2019, many WhatsApp users now enable it for better privacy, especially from strangers.
Can I still use WhatsApp if I enable this feature?
Yes, you can absolutely still use WhatsApp normally even with the phone number privacy feature enabled.
All your conversations, calls, media sharing and other functionality will work exactly the same. The only difference is your exact number is hidden from non-contacts.
You can still add new contacts in WhatsApp by sharing your number with them directly. And your existing chats and groups are unaffected.
Is there a way to temporarily disable number privacy?
There is no built-in setting in WhatsApp to temporarily disable number privacy. Once enabled, it remains on for all users until you manually disable it again.
However, you can share your full phone number with someone directly in chat, even while keeping the privacy setting enabled elsewhere.
Some workarounds include:
- Texting your phone number in a chat when you need to share it.
- Making a voice/video call so your number appears.
- Creating a temporary group that shows your number to a specific contact.
But there is no “visibility timer” or easily reversible way to switch it on and off as needed within settings.
Can I use WhatsApp on multiple devices if I have enabled number privacy?
Yes, you can use the multiple devices or linked devices feature even with number privacy enabled.
Adding a tablet, secondary phone, or desktop to your WhatsApp account works the same way. Your chats, calls, media etc. will sync across devices.
Your phone number will simply be hidden on all linked devices. So you retain privacy across the board.
Is this feature available on WhatsApp Web/Desktop?
The ability to enable phone number privacy is available both on mobile and WhatsApp Web/Desktop.
On WhatsApp Web and Desktop, you can enable it by going to Settings > Privacy > Phone Number Visibility and selecting “Nobody.”
Once enabled, your number privacy setting syncs across mobile and desktop. You don’t have to change it separately.
Can I use a Virtual Number on WhatsApp if my number is private?
Yes, virtual phone numbers from apps like Google Voice work just fine with WhatsApp, even if you have number privacy enabled.
To use a virtual number on WhatsApp:
- Make sure the virtual number app supports SMS/calls so you can receive verification codes.
- Install WhatsApp and sign up using your virtual number.
- Verify your virtual number when WhatsApp sends a confirmation code.
- Enable number privacy in WhatsApp’s settings.
This will show your virtual number to your contacts instead of your real private number. You can also hide your virtual number from strangers for added privacy.
Can I still use WhatsApp for desktop SMS if my number is hidden?
Currently, the feature that links WhatsApp to your computer’s SMS/messaging app only works if your phone number is visible on WhatsApp.
If you have enabled privacy settings to hide your number, your SMS messages will not sync to WhatsApp desktop or the linked devices.
Hopefully this capability will be added in the future. But for now turning on number privacy breaks the SMS sync feature.
Is there a way to make my number visible to some people but not others?
There is no direct way to pick and choose who can view your number on WhatsApp.
The number privacy setting is a simple on/off toggle that either shows your number to everyone or hides it from everyone except existing contacts and admins.
A couple potential workarounds if you want to selectively share your number:
- Create a contacts group with those you want to see your number, then turn on privacy.
- Share your number directly in chat only with those you want to have it.
- Use a virtual number for some contacts and your real number for others.
But there is no setting built into WhatsApp to precisely configure number visibility per contact or group. It’s designed as an all-or-nothing privacy feature.
What happens if I disable the phone number privacy setting later?
If you decide to disable the phone number privacy setting down the road, here is what happens:
- Your full phone number will again be visible to all your contacts and new people you meet on WhatsApp.
- For existing contacts who had your “You” placeholder name, they will now see your number on their end.
- In groups, members will now be able to see your number in the info screen.
- People who you previously called/chatted with will have your number visible in their call log history.
So disabling the privacy setting essentially reverses the effect. Your real number will be publicly visible on WhatsApp once again.
Does WhatsApp notify your contacts if you turn on phone number privacy?
No, turning on the phone number privacy setting does not send any notification to your contacts or groups.
To your contacts, it will simply appear that your phone number has disappeared or changed to a placeholder like “You” or your nickname where your number used to be.
WhatsApp does not inform contacts that you have intentionally hidden your phone number from them or enabled privacy settings. The change happens silently behind-the-scenes.
Can I use this feature on multiple WhatsApp accounts on the same phone?
If you are using dual WhatsApp accounts on the same Android or iPhone, the phone number privacy setting can be configured separately for each account.
For example:
- Account A can show number to everyone
- Account B can hide number completely
The privacy settings are account-specific, so you can enable number privacy for certain accounts without affecting others on that device.
Does this also prevent my number from being on Truecaller and similar apps?
Unfortunately, the WhatsApp number privacy setting only hides your number within WhatsApp itself. It does not prevent your number being visible on third-party phone number lookup apps and sites.
Services like Truecaller, Whitepages, etc aggregate phone number details from various public sources including phone books, marketing lists, and social networks.
So even if you enable privacy on WhatsApp, your number may still be exposed on these external platforms. You would need to opt-out separately from each site’s database to be removed.
Conclusion
The phone number privacy feature in WhatsApp provides an extra layer of control over who can see and contact you on the messaging platform. While not foolproof, it prevents your personal details being exposed to strangers and unwanted contacts.
Enabling this setting is recommended for most users, especially to avoid spam calls/messages and misuse of your number. But be aware it also has some minor tradeoffs in terms of discoverability and ease of connecting with new contacts.
Overall, number privacy is a valuable privacy enhancement for WhatsApp. While basic calling and messaging works the same, limiting your number exposure helps secure your account and protect against potential harassment.