Key Takeaways
- WhatsApp is working on granular controls for contact syncing across multiple accounts on one device.
- Users will be able to keep contacts from their accounts separate from one another, with an option to sync specific contacts between the two accounts.
- The tool also includes an option to unsync contacts previously synced, and one to back up synced contacts, ensuring that contacts remain available to restore in case you link your account to a new device.
WhatsApp appears to be working on a seamless new way to help users manage their contacts across accounts.
The messaging giant started supporting multiple WhatsApp accounts on one device last year. We first heard about WhatsApp working on the feature in June 2023, and the platform finally rolled out the feature for all in October the same year, allowing users to keep their personal and professional lives separate.
Now, in an attempt to streamline contacts across two different WhatsApp accounts on one device, the communication giant is reportedly working on granular controls for contact syncing between multiple accounts.
The in-development feature was first spotted by WABetaInfo in WhatsApp beta for Android 2.24.18.14. According to the report, the feature is not yet available for beta testing, though it should roll out in a future app update.
The feature will finally allow users to keep their contacts on one account separate from the other, with an option to allow certain contacts of your choosing to sync between the two. This would make it so that you don’t have to sync your whole address book across the two accounts, a boon for those who want to maintain distinct contact lists for their work and personal life.
Source: WABetaInfo
Contacts that you choose to sync regardless of the WhatsApp account, like parents or guardians, emergency contacts, or others, will become available across all linked devices. However, if a previously synced contact no longer warrants residing across both WhatsApp accounts, you will also have an option to unsync, suggests the report. Elsewhere, alongside the update, WhatsApp will also roll out a contact backup option that will ensure synced contacts remain backed up and available to restore in case you link your account to a new device.
It is currently unclear when the tool might be widely available, but there are a lot of other treats that WhatsApp has recently rolled out, many of which you can try out now. These include tweaked status updates, voice message transcriptions, in-app translation support, and more.
