WhatsApp has become one of the most popular messaging apps worldwide, with over 2 billion active users. It allows users to exchange messages, photos, videos, documents, voice messages and make voice and video calls over the internet.
One of the key things you need to use WhatsApp is your WhatsApp account number, which is tied to your smartphone number. Your WhatsApp account number allows you to register on the app and is used by your contacts to connect with you on WhatsApp.
If you are new to WhatsApp or have changed your phone number recently, you may be wondering how to find your WhatsApp number. There are a few simple ways to locate it on both iPhone and Android devices.
Check your WhatsApp profile on iPhone
If you have an iPhone, here are the steps to find your WhatsApp number:
- Open the WhatsApp app on your iPhone.
- Tap on the Settings tab located at the bottom right.
- Tap on your profile picture at the top of the screen.
- Your phone number will be displayed at the top under your name. This is your WhatsApp account number.
To recap, simply open WhatsApp, go to Settings > your profile, and your WhatsApp number will be shown at the top.
Check your WhatsApp profile on Android
For Android users, the process to find your WhatsApp number is very similar:
- Open WhatsApp and tap on the 3 dot menu icon at the top right.
- Select Settings from the menu.
- Tap on your profile picture at the top of the screen.
- You will see your phone number listed here under your name. This is your WhatsApp account number.
So go to Menu > Settings > Profile to view your WhatsApp number on Android devices.
Retrieve your WhatsApp number from Phone Settings
You can also find your WhatsApp number through your smartphone’s Settings outside of the WhatsApp app:
On iPhone
- Go to the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Select Phone.
- Here you will see your phone number. This is the same number tied to your WhatsApp account.
On Android
- Open Settings on your Android phone.
- Tap on About Phone.
- Select Status.
- Your phone number will be displayed here. This is your WhatsApp number.
So your WhatsApp account number is the same as your mobile number that is listed in your iPhone or Android device settings.
Check your WhatsApp verification code
When you first installed WhatsApp on your phone, you likely received an SMS text message containing a verification code that you had to enter to activate your account.
You can go back and look up this old verification code SMS to find your WhatsApp number:
- Open the SMS app on your phone.
- Search or scroll through your message history to find the WhatsApp verification code text.
- The number that the verification code was sent to is your WhatsApp account number.
This SMS was sent when you first activated your WhatsApp account, so it may be further back in your message history depending on how long you’ve been using WhatsApp.
Have someone send you your WhatsApp number
An easy way to retrieve your WhatsApp number is to simply have someone in your WhatsApp contacts list send it to you in a message.
To do this:
- Ask a friend or contact to open your chat in WhatsApp.
- Tell them to tap on your name at the top of the chat screen.
- This will display your phone number which they can send back to you.
Having a contact directly send you your WhatsApp number via chat is often the fastest way to find it if you don’t have access to your phone settings for any reason.
Change your WhatsApp number
In some cases, you may be looking for your WhatsApp number because you recently changed mobile numbers but kept your old WhatsApp account.
WhatsApp allows you to change the phone number linked to your WhatsApp account. Here is how:
- Install the WhatsApp app on your new phone with the new number.
- Open WhatsApp and tap OK when prompted to verify your number.
- WhatsApp will detect your existing account and give you the option to update your number to the new one.
- Follow the on-screen instructions to update your number.
Once completed, your WhatsApp account will be linked to your new mobile number. All your existing chats and data will remain intact.
Register for a new WhatsApp account
If for some reason you cannot access your old WhatsApp account and number, you can simply register for a new WhatsApp account using your new phone number:
- Install WhatsApp on your phone.
- Open the app and agree to the Terms of Service.
- Verify your number when the verification code is sent via SMS.
- Set a profile name and optional profile photo.
This will set up a brand new WhatsApp account tied to your latest phone number. Keep in mind you will lose access to your old WhatsApp account and chat history.
Conclusion
Finding your WhatsApp account number is easy on both iPhones and Android phones. The key methods include:
- Checking your WhatsApp profile
- Looking it up in your Phone settings
- Retrieving your verification code SMS
- Having a contact send it to you
If you’ve changed numbers, you can update your WhatsApp account or register for a new one. Knowing your WhatsApp number allows you to give it out to contacts so they can message you. It also serves as your unique identifier on the popular messaging platform.