How to add a contact to WhatsApp
- You can add contacts to WhatsApp by entering them manually in chats or by scanning the QR code from their WhatsApp profile.
- You can also import contacts from your phone to WhatsApp.
- When entering international contacts, remember to start their phone number with a plus sign, then add the international calling code for their country.
- This story is part of the Insider’s Guide to WhatsApp.
WhatsApp is a surprisingly popular messaging app – many people choose to use it because it is compatible with iPhone and Android, and it works over WiFi, so you don’t need to use your cellular plan.
Want to add a new contact to your WhatsApp address book? You can easily do this in two different ways, depending on whether the other person is nearby. Here’s what you need to know.
How to add a contact to WhatsApp
There are two ways to add a contact to WhatsApp: you can manually enter the contact information through the Chats tab, or if your new contact is physically nearby, you can simply scan their information through a QR code.
Via the Chats tab
1. Open the WhatsApp application and navigate to the Discussions (it’s at the bottom of the screen on iPhone and at the top on Android).
To add a new contact to WhatsApp, start by opening the Chats screen.
Grace Eliza Goodwin / Insider
2. On the Discussions screen, tap the New discussion button – you’ll find it top right on iPhone and bottom right on Android.
Press the “New discussion” button.
Grace Eliza Goodwin / Insider
3. Faucet New contact.
At the top of your contact list, you should see a New Contact link.
Grace Eliza Goodwin / Insider
4. Fill out the New Contact form – at a minimum enter name and phone number, but you can also enter any additional information you want. You can also scan someone’s QR code from this page if you want.
5. When you are finished, press to safeguard.
By QR code
On the other person’s phone:
1. Open the WhatsApp app.
2. Faucet Settings.
3. At the top of the Settings page, tap the QR code symbol to the right of the person’s name.
Each user has a unique QR code on their profile page in Settings.
Grace Eliza Goodwin / Insider
On your phone:
1. Open the WhatsApp app and tap Settings.
2. At the top of the Settings page, tap the QR code symbol to the right of your name.
3. If you have an iPhone, tap To analyse at the bottom of the screen. If you have an Android phone, tap Scan the code at the top of the screen.
Press “Scan” to open the camera and scan someone else’s code.
Grace Eliza Goodwin / Insider
4. Place your phone on the other phone so that you can scan the QR code with the front camera. Wait a moment until the phone vibrates – you have now scanned that person’s contact information.
5. Faucet Add to Contacts.