WhatsApp accounts are linked to your mobile phone number, and changing that number can be a real hassle.
Users often resort to creating dedicated WhatsApp groups with their friends to announce a change to a new number.
WhatsApp warns users on its website, “When you change your WhatsApp phone number, your contacts will not individually be informed of the change.
“Only participants that share group chats with you will see that you changed your number.
“For a seamless messaging experience, notify your contacts that your number will be changing before you begin this process.”
WABETAINFO • TWITTER
WhatsApp will notify your contacts when you change numbers
Fortunately, WhatsApp looks set to alleviate some of this pain with a future update to the chat app.
The Facebook-owned messenger is believed to be testing a new Change Number in the latest beta for the app.
This clever feature lets users notify their contacts about the upcoming change in phone number.
Users can choose whether to notify all their WhatsApp contacts about the number change – or just those they have active conversations with.
The new feature was unearthed by Twitter account @WABetaInfo, which tracks new functionality that surfaces within the latest WhatsApp beta releases.
The new WhatsApp beta also includes the ability to revoke messages that you’ve already sent.
Since these features are only in beta, there is no guarantee they will make the final release version.
WhatsApp is also looking to bring person-to-person payments to its hugely-popular messenger.
The Facebook-owned app is purportedly looking to add digital payments very soon, following the surge in popularity of mobile wallet apps such as Paytm and MobiKwik in India, following the country’s demonetisation last year.
WhatsApp is currently the most popular instant messaging app in India, hence why it is focusing its efforts there for this new feature.
The messenger is believed to be in talks with the government to add support for UPI – a new payment system created by the National Payments Corporation of India, or NPCI.
UPI is completely open to third-party services, which will allow WhatsApp to incorporate the technology into its messenger.
A spokesperson for the company did not directly deny its plans in India, telling Mashable: “India is an important country for WhatsApp, and we’re understanding how we can contribute more to the vision of Digital India.
“We’re exploring how we might work with companies that share this vision and continuing to listen closely to feedback from our users.”
WhatsApp co-founder Brian Acton visited India a few weeks ago to meet with government officials to discuss ways the US-based company could contribute to “India’s vision for digital commerce”.
[Source:-express]