WhatsApp beta for Android 2.24.21.26: what's new?

WhatsApp is rolling out a new update through the Google Play Beta Program, bringing the version up to 2.24.21.26.
What's new in this update? WhatsApp is rolling out a new privacy feature to manage the contact syncing option, and it's available to some beta testers!

In the article about the WhatsApp beta for iOS 24.20.10.76 update, we announced that WhatsApp was rolling out a contact syncing option. This feature offers users more control over how their contacts are synced across different devices when using the same WhatsApp account. By disabling syncing for certain accounts, users can ensure that contact lists remain distinct and separate. It appears that WhatsApp now intends to offer Android users the same opportunity to experiment with this contact syncing option as it already does for the iOS version. Thanks to the latest WhatsApp beta for Android 2.24.21.26 update, which is available on the Google Play Store, we discovered that WhatsApp is rolling out a new privacy feature to manage the contact syncing option!

As you can see from the attached screenshot, some beta testers can experiment with a new privacy option that allows them to manage contacts across their linked devices. This means that users can add, edit, or delete contacts from any device that is linked to their WhatsApp account, without relying on their mobile phones. For example, people who use WhatsApp on a tablet or desktop can still modify their contact list, and those changes will automatically sync across all their linked devices, providing a more integrated experience. If users choose to disable contact syncing for a particular account (such as their work account), WhatsApp will stop pulling and displaying contacts from that account. This can help maintain privacy, preventing certain contacts from appearing in their WhatsApp contact list on a secondary account.

It is important to note that WhatsApp uses cryptographic hashes to support another layer of privacy protection. These hashes allow WhatsApp to secure the phone numbers of contacts who don't have WhatsApp accounts while still ensuring that they can monitor unusual behavior, such as attempts to misuse the contact upload feature. Despite disabling contact syncing, users can still interact with their existing contacts on WhatsApp, which preserves the core functionality of the app even if users choose to limit the amount of data they share. In addition, in the event that a user switches to a new phone or reinstalls the app, WhatsApp will automatically restore contacts linked to their account, allowing for a smooth transition without the need to re-add or recover contacts manually.

Users have full control over their privacy preferences. If they choose to opt out of the new contact experience entirely and prefer not to create, add, edit, or store contacts within WhatsApp for future use, they can easily disable WhatsApp contacts in their privacy settings at any time. This makes it easier for users to maintain their privacy according to their own preferences.

A new privacy feature to manage the contact syncing option is available to some beta testers who install the latest updates of WhatsApp beta for Android from the Google Play Store, and it is rolling out to even more people over the coming weeks.

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