Latest WhatsApp updates to keep your eye on

Instant messaging app WhatsApp has had new updates lately, with a key one being a change in the way it handles contacts.

You will now be able to save contacts within the app, meaning that you can access them in the event of phone loss or changing of a device.

“Until now, WhatsApp relied on your phone’s contact book to sync contacts. If a new person messaged you on the app, and you wanted to save their details, the information would be stored locally on your device,” TechCrunch reports.

The new feature will be rolling out soon, letting you store contacts on any device, including WhatsApp for the web and windows.

GSN Arena notes that the new feature will also be helpful for those who share a phone, as well as those who manage multiple accounts with separate contacts on one device.

“The contacts you save in WhatsApp use a new privacy-preserving storage technology called Identity Proof Linked Storage (IPLS), which Meta says keeps names and numbers encrypted and only lets you access them.”

The report adds: “The new contacts feature will, at some point in the future, be followed by a username system which will let you use the app without tying your account to your phone number.”

You’re also now able to like statuses and show love to your contacts as well as mention people, as Habari Digital reported earlier this month.

Meta says in a statement on its blog that status likes, private mentions and the ability to reshare a status you’re mentioned in, will make it easier to reach the people who matter most.

“These features are now starting to roll out, and will be available globally to users soon. We’ll be bringing more features to Status and the Updates tab over the next few months… Let us know what you think!”