Social media platforms totally rule the digital universe, and they’ve come a long way since their beginning. From Myspace to TikTok, Facebook to Instagram, and beyond, they’ve become a part of our lives. Around the mid-2000s, Myspace was the OG. It was all about customizing your profile with sparkly backgrounds, music playlists, and the infamous “Top 8” friends list drama. Then came Facebook, the cool kid on the block, exclusive to college students at first.
Then, Snapchat got us sending disappearing messages and stories. It was like, “Here’s my life for 24 hours, enjoy!” And we did. It got us into streaks and face-swapping for fun, and we couldn’t stop snapping.
In 2010, TikTok came along, and it was like Vine’s cooler cousin. Short videos, catchy music, and endless trends made it an instant hit. You could go viral with a dance challenge or a funny skit, and you didn’t even need to leave your room.
However, Social media isn’t just about fun and games; it’s a major part of our lives. We get news from Twitter, fashion inspo from Instagram, and memes from everywhere. It’s our virtual playground, and it’s also where we voice our opinions and make a difference.
Of course, we couldn’t possibly leave out WhatsApp. It’s our secret hideout for chatting with friends and family. No more expensive international texts – it’s all about those blue and gray ticks now. We share memes, voice notes, and plan secret surprise parties without anyone finding out.
But there’s a flip side. Privacy concerns, cyberbullying, and addiction are real issues. We’ve got to stay woke and use these platforms wisely. And even though we love the ‘gram and the ‘Tok, we can’t forget the beauty of real-life face-to-face connections.
In today’s blog, we’ll talk about WhatsApp. More specifically, we’ll discuss if someone can see your phone number when you add them.
When You Add Someone on Whatsapp, Can They See Your Phone Number?
Let’s dive straight into it: when you add someone’s phone number on WhatsApp, are they able to see your phone number, too? Well, unless you give them your number or call them/message them on WhatsApp, there’s no way for them to get your phone number.
We do understand that this is a little confusing, so give us a moment to clarify.
You see, on WhatsApp, if you wish to add someone, you require their phone number. Another way to add someone is to do so after they’ve already contacted you on WhatsApp, such as by messaging or calling you.
However, if all you’ve done is add their number without giving them yours and not having contacted them, they will not have access to your phone number.
On the other hand, if you send them a message or call them on WhatsApp, they will get your phone number. Needless to say, all your contacts already have your phone number.
How to hide your phone number from someone on WhatsApp?
Now, let’s say you added someone on WhatsApp, and they did the same. However, you had some sort of falling out, as a result of which you do not wish for them to be able to contact you anymore. So, is there a way for you to remove your number from their device?
The answer, unfortunately, is no, you can’t. WhatsApp is big on privacy and security, but there’s a limit to its features. There’s no way for you to remove yourself as a contact from somebody else’s device.
The closest you can get to cutting all ties with someone on WhatsApp is blocking them. However, this also depends on the nature of the falling out and the desperation of the blocked user.
Blocking only prevents a user from contacting you on WhatsApp using the blocked number. Nothing is stopping them from using another device or phone number to contact you.
However, even if you think they will contact you with different phone numbers after being blocked, it’s worth a try, won’t you agree?
Here’s how to block someone on WhatsApp
Step 1: Open WhatsApp on your smartphone; you’ll automatically be taken to the app’s Chat tab.
Step 2: Now, you must find your chats with whoever it is that you wish to block.
To do so, you can either scroll down the Chats page or search for them using the magnifying glass Search icon at the top right.
Step 3: Once you’ve found their chat, tap on it. Once you’re there, tap on the three-dots ellipsis icon, located again at the top right.
Step 4: Next, on the small list of items that appear, select More.
Step 5: On the smaller list, select Block. Here, you’ll also get an option to Report contact. Do the needful, and you’re all set!
It’s unfortunate that WhatsApp does not yet have a feature like Instagram’s “Block this account and any other accounts they might have or create?” However, it’s obvious that that feature can’t be replicated on WhatsApp due to differences in their core design.
Hopefully, WhatsApp will soon find an equivalent that helps users feel safe.
Takeaway
As we’ve reached the end of our blog for today, let us quickly go over everything we’ve discussed here.
WhatsApp is a popular social media messaging service with over two billion monthly active users. It is especially well-known for its convenient features and strict privacy and security policy.
However, it would appear as if it still has some chinks in its armor that it needs to work out. Specifically, we’re talking about the fact that once we’ve added someone on WhatsApp, we cannot remove our phone numbers from their device.
Although it makes sense that a social media app shouldn’t be able to delete contacts, that’s the only way to make this work. That is unless WhatsApp comes out with another alternative, one that does not involve phone numbers in the first place.
The best course of action here would be to make it so that only those manually approved by the user can message them. While this is already the case to some extent, it can still be worked upon.
If you have any questions regarding this topic, let us know in the comments below!
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