WhatsApp Tests New Privacy Feature to Give Users More Control Over Phone Number Visibility

WhatsApp is reportedly developing a new privacy feature that will allow users to control who can see their phone numbers in chats and calls. The upcoming option is expected to provide greater privacy for people who use WhatsApp usernames to communicate without sharing their personal contact details.

The feature is currently under development and was spotted in WhatsApp beta version 2.26.45.1 for Android, according to WABetaInfo.

WhatsApp Introduces Four Phone Number Privacy Options

The new feature is expected to offer four visibility settings:

• Everyone: Allows all users to see your phone number.
• My Contacts: Makes your number visible only to people saved in your contacts.
• My Contacts Except…: Allows you to hide your number from selected contacts.
• Nobody: Keeps your phone number hidden from everyone.

These options will give users more control over their personal information when communicating through WhatsApp.

New Privacy Feature Will Require a WhatsApp Username

The phone number visibility settings will reportedly be available only to users who have created a WhatsApp username.

WhatsApp introduced usernames in June as part of its broader privacy-focused approach, allowing people to connect and communicate without needing to share their phone numbers.

The username feature has not yet been fully rolled out, although users can already reserve their preferred usernames.

Default Setting Expected to Hide Phone Numbers

Under the existing system, WhatsApp automatically hides users’ phone numbers from people who contact them through their usernames.

With the upcoming update, the default phone number visibility setting is expected to be “Nobody.” This means users who prefer to keep their numbers private will not need to change any settings.

However, people who use WhatsApp for business or other purposes can reportedly adjust the visibility option to allow others to see their numbers.

WhatsApp Privacy Update Still Under Development

The new phone number privacy feature is still being developed and is not currently available, even to beta testers.

WhatsApp is expected to introduce it through a future beta update before making it available to the wider public. The company has not announced an official release date.