The popular WhatsApp messaging app has introduced a new feature that allows users to start chats with unknown people by searching their phone numbers, without saving them in the address book, as the new feature is available for both Android and iOS users, and will make it easier for users to chat with unknown numbers.
How to access the feature
WABetaInfo shared a screenshot of the new feature explaining it to users, and depending on the shared screenshot, WhatsApp will search outside of your contacts whenever you enter an unfamiliar phone number in the app, and to check if this feature is accessible through your WhatsApp account, simply search for a phone number by accessing your contact lists.
For WhatsApp iOS users, follow these steps: In the chat menu, click the “Start New Chat” button, enter the unknown phone number in the search bar, and if the contact is on WhatsApp, you will be able to open a conversation with them.
“Users frequently save contacts in their address book when they receive calls from unknown phone numbers, so they can recognize them by checking their WhatsApp profile images, but they may forget to remove those contacts later. In addition, saving an unknown contact means that they may be able to see your profile picture: Searching for the phone number without saving it to the contact list can be considered an additional privacy measure and is certainly an important step forward in enhancing the messaging user experience.”
