WhatsApp lets users add new contacts via QR codes

WhatsApp is working on the ability to add other users via a QR code. By scanning it, they can start a conversation with each other. However, users still share each other’s phone numbers.

The function to scan QR codes is now active in the beta version for iOS. WhatsApp Beta Info writes that the function will soon also appear in Android.

The feature allows users to create a QR code in their app and have it scanned by another user. A user who scans the code immediately adds the owner to his or her WhatsApp contacts. Because a WhatsApp account is still linked to a telephone number, a scanner will naturally see the number – the function is not intended to start a chat more anonymously, for example.

It is also possible to reset the QR code. This should prevent abuse. By resetting the code, no one can use the existing code anymore.

In an earlier version of the beta for iOS, WhatsApp also made it possible to lock backups to iCloud with a password. In addition to text, this also encrypts media in chats. It’s not entirely clear whether it applies the same end-to-end encryption that applies to messages. WhatsApp is currently warning that this is not the case.