whatsappiconcleanedWhatsApp is testing the use of QR codes to let users add contacts to the messaging platform, reports WABetaInfo.

The feature appears in beta versions for both iOS and Android, and can be found in the app's settings menu, which includes options to display your own QR code and scan the codes of other users. QR codes can also be revoked if users decide they'd rather not share their number with someone anymore.

The beta feature is a long-overdue way of adding contacts to WhatsApp directly. Currently users must first add a contact via the Contacts tab in Apple's Phone app. Only after then can they open WhatsApp and send them a message.

Using a QR code instead would skip this step and make the process a lot more convenient, although it's unknown when the feature will make it into a public release.

WhatsApp recently implemented new restrictions on the mass forwarding of messages in an effort to slow the spread of misinformation on the chat platform, and also added a group video chat capability for up to eight users at once.

Tag: WhatsApp

Top Rated Comments

macintoshmac Avatar
macintoshmac
69 months ago

WhatsApp is still the best messaging app in the world. The most ubiquitous, easy to use and feature-rich.

The only cons: 1) Owned by Facebook. 2) No iPad or iPod app.
Owned by Facebook, and recently started uploading contacts to their servers instead of accessing contacts on-device like they used to. So, effectively, they are going to end up with the largest phone number directory in the world, privacy be damned.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MacBH928 Avatar
MacBH928
69 months ago

And again: privacy is a myth these days. No company (including Apple) offers you privacy.
Privacy is not a myth, if you use software that respects your privacy you will limit the exposure of your personal life.

If you use: Signal for messaging, FireFox for browsing, adblocks, PiHole, Linux for OS, ProtonMail for email, DuckDuckGo for searching..etc companies will know very little of you.

If you use: Whatsapp for messaging, Chrome for browsing, Alexa for searching, Gmail, Google, and Windows expect your whole life is being recorded in text, image, video, and sound form in a huge database shared with the government and sold to the highest bidder.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Elements0fStyle Avatar
Elements0fStyle
69 months ago

WhatsApp is still the best messaging app in the world. The most ubiquitous, easy to use and feature-rich.

The only cons: 1) Owned by Facebook. 2) No iPad or iPod app.
3. Their encryption has been vulnerable and I know for a fact government workers and military personnel have been advised not to use it.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GeoStructural Avatar
GeoStructural
69 months ago
WhatsApp is still the best messaging app in the world. The most ubiquitous, easy to use and feature-rich.

The only cons: 1) Owned by Facebook. 2) No iPad or iPod app.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Rychiar Avatar
Rychiar
69 months ago

In the world? Are you sure? Cause I live in Asia, and I barely heard of WA, I only got to use it for a short time because of work. But compared to other chat apps here that’s not only chat apps but also our form of mobile payments (like WeChat Pay, LINE Pay, or KakaoPay), WhatsApp is not even as closed to being as useful as these apps.
don't worry. American has barely heard of it either
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
B4U Avatar
B4U
69 months ago
Line had it for years.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments

Popular Stories

Apple Watch Ultra 2 Complications

Apple Watch Ultra 3 Just Weeks Away: Eight Reasons to Upgrade

Wednesday August 20, 2025 6:44 am PDT by
We're only weeks away from Apple's annual iPhone event – rumored to take place on September 9 – and along with the new iPhone 17 series, we're going to get a new version of the Apple Watch Ultra for the first time since 2023. By the time the Ultra 3 is unveiled, it will have been two years since the previous model arrived. The intervening period has left plenty of room for enhancements,...
Read Full Article • 70 comments
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

iPhone Driver's Licenses in Apple Wallet Now Available in 10 U.S. States

Wednesday August 20, 2025 12:00 pm PDT by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. This week, Apple announced the 10th U.S. state that has implemented the feature: Montana. Below, we have recapped key details about...
Read Full Article • 67 comments
iPhone 17 Pro on Desk Centered 1

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Next Month With These 12 New Features

Wednesday August 20, 2025 1:23 pm PDT by
Apple's iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max should be unveiled in a few more weeks, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone X through iPhone 14 Pro...
Read Full Article
airpods pro 2 green

Apple Releases New Beta Firmware for AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4

Tuesday August 19, 2025 11:25 am PDT by
Apple today provided developers with updated beta firmware for the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4, allowing them to test the new AirPods features in iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS Tahoe. The firmware is only available to developers at the current time, and a device running iOS 26, iPadOS 26, or macOS 26 is required to install the update. The firmware has a build number of 8A5343a, up from 8A5324b. ...
Read Full Article • 29 comments
iPhone 17 Pro Dark Blue and Orange

When Is iPhone 17 Coming Out?

Wednesday August 20, 2025 5:00 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone 17 series is expected to debut in September 2025. This release follows Apple's recent trend of introducing new iPhone models annually in the fall. To unveil the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max, Apple is expected to hold its annual iPhone announcement event during the week of September 8, 2025, with September 9 or 10 emerging as the most likely...
Read Full Article
TechWoven

Apple Rumored to Launch 'TechWoven' Cases for iPhone 17 With 'Crossbody Strap' Option

Wednesday August 20, 2025 8:21 am PDT by
Apple is planning to launch a new "TechWoven" line of cases for the iPhone 17 series, according to a leaker known as "Majin Bu." Two years ago, Apple stopped selling leather iPhone cases, as part of the company's efforts to reduce its carbon emissions. As an alternative, Apple introduced a new "FineWoven" line of fabric iPhone cases made from 68% post-consumer recycled content, but they were ...
Read Full Article • 148 comments
Generic iOS 18

iOS 18.6.2 Update Coming Soon for iPhones

Tuesday August 19, 2025 9:29 am PDT by
Apple's software engineers are testing iOS 18.6.2, according to the MacRumors visitor logs, which have been a reliable indicator of upcoming iOS versions. Yesterday, an anonymous source with a proven track record said iOS 18.6.2 was incoming, but the update was not present in our logs at that time. Last year, the same anonymous source claimed that iOS 17.5.2 was in the pipeline, but Apple ...
Read Full Article • 24 comments