How to Add a Contact on WhatsApp (Android and iPhone)

Adding a contact is the first job you'll do after installing WhatsApp, and it's one people trip over more than you'd think. WhatsApp works with phone numbers, so a number you've saved with a name is far easier to find than a string of digits. That matters for friends, and it matters even more if you're a small-business owner who has just been handed a customer's number at an event. Below are the routes WhatsApp's help centre gives for Android and iPhone, the settings that stop a saved person appearing, and what to do when someone isn't saved at all.

Add a contact on WhatsApp with a new chat

According to WhatsApp's help centre, you can add a contact in three ways: with a new chat, by saving a number from an existing chat, or by adding people from a group. The new chat route is the quickest when you've got the number in front of you.

On Android

1. Open WhatsApp and go to the Chats tab.
2. Tap the new chat icon, then tap New contact.
3. Enter the contact's details and tap Save.
4. If you want the contact to sync with your phone's address book, turn on Sync contact to phone.

On iPhone

1. Open WhatsApp and go to the Chats tab.
2. Tap the new chat icon, then tap New contact and enter the contact's details.
3. Tap Done.
4. Turn on Sync contact to phone if you want it saved in your address book too.

Menus vary by app version, so if the new chat icon looks different on your phone, update the app first.

Save a number from an existing WhatsApp chat or group

This one is perfect when a stranger has messaged you first and you can only see a number. WhatsApp's help page says that when someone isn't saved, you'll see their phone number instead of their name.

• From a chat: open the chat, tap the phone number, then save it. On Android you tap Save and enter the details. On iPhone you tap Create new contact, then Done.
• From a group: tap the person's profile photo next to one of their messages. On Android, tap info then Save. On iPhone, tap Create new contact and enter their details.
• Several people at once: on Android, open the group, go to Group info and tap Add members to contacts. On iPhone, open the group, tap the group name and tap Save to contacts. Then pick the people you want and confirm.

That last option is handy after a workshop or a customer group, when you want everyone saved in one go. If you're running a group, my guide to adding someone to a WhatsApp group covers the other side of the coin.

Choose whether a WhatsApp contact syncs to your phone

There's a toggle called Sync contact to phone on each of those screens. WhatsApp's help page explains that if you have contact permissions and WhatsApp contacts turned on, you can choose which contacts sync to your phone's address book. Two things to know:

• Turning it on means the person is saved in your phone's own Contacts app too, so other apps can see them.
• Deleting a synced contact can remove it from your phone's address book as well. WhatsApp's help page says the chat history isn't deleted when you delete a contact.

Check WhatsApp's contact permission if a saved contact is missing

If you've saved a number and the person still doesn't appear, the first thing to check is permission. The help page gives these routes:

• Android: in your phone's Settings, go to Apps, then WhatsApp, then Permissions, then Contacts and accounts, and tap Allow.
• iPhone: in your phone's Settings, go to Apps, then WhatsApp, then Contacts, and select Full Access.

WhatsApp's find-and-invite article adds two more checks for a contact you can't find: the person has to be using WhatsApp (people who aren't are listed under Invite to WhatsApp), and the number has to be saved in your address book. If it's an international number, enter the full international format. If names still show as bare numbers, my explainer on why WhatsApp isn't showing contact names goes through the other causes.

Start a WhatsApp chat with a number you haven't saved

You don't have to save everyone. WhatsApp's help page describes chatting with someone who isn't a contact:

1. Go to the Chats or Calls tab and tap the new chat icon.
2. Enter the name or phone number in the search bar.
3. If the number is already on WhatsApp, tap the name or number to open the chat and start talking.
4. To save the person afterwards, tap the name or number and choose Create New Contact, then Done.

If the number isn't on WhatsApp, the same screen lets you invite them. Tap Invite next to their name and send the invite link. Your WhatsApp profile name shows in the link preview so they know who it's from, or your phone number if you haven't got a profile name.

Add a WhatsApp contact for customers, the tidy way

A few habits make a customer list far easier to live with:

• Save each person in the same pattern, such as first name then business, so a search always finds them.
• Save the number as soon as the first message arrives. Waiting until later means a list of unnamed numbers.
• Edit rather than duplicate. WhatsApp's help page suggests checking your Contacts app search first, so you don't end up with two entries for one person.
• If you use the Business app, my guide to organising and managing contacts in WhatsApp Business goes further.

The name you type is only a label on your phone. What other people see for you is your own profile name, which I explain in my guide to changing your name on WhatsApp.

Edit or delete a WhatsApp contact you saved by mistake

To fix a typo, go to Chats, tap the search bar, enter the person's name and tap the contact. On iPhone, tap their name and then Edit. On Android, use the menu to view the contact and edit their details. To remove them, the iPhone route is Edit then Delete Contact, and Android's is View in address book then Delete. WhatsApp's help page notes that you can't add a profile photo for a contact, because people choose their own.

One more thing from the help page: WhatsApp may suggest new chats on your Chats tab when you have few active chats. Tap the X beside a suggestion to dismiss it.

Frequently asked questions

How do I add a new contact on WhatsApp?

Go to the Chats tab, tap the new chat icon, tap New contact, enter the details and tap Save on Android or Done on iPhone.

Why can't I find a contact I just saved on WhatsApp?

WhatsApp's help page says to check that the person uses WhatsApp, that you've saved the number in your address book in full international format, and that WhatsApp is allowed to access your contacts.

Is saving a number required before messaging someone on WhatsApp?

No. You can enter a name or number in the new chat search bar and start a chat if the number is on WhatsApp, then save the person later if you want to.

What does Sync contact to phone do?

It saves the contact in your phone's address book as well as in WhatsApp. WhatsApp's help page says deleting a synced contact can remove it from your phone's address book too.

Can I add a profile photo for a contact?

No. WhatsApp's help page says people choose their own profile photo, so you can't add one for a contact who hasn't set it.