If I change my number in WhatsApp, will they see it - briefly?
If you change your phone number in WhatsApp, your contacts will not automatically see the new number. They will still see the old number until you manually inform them of the change or they try to contact you and notice that your number has changed.
If I change my number in WhatsApp, will they see it - in detail?
When you change your phone number on WhatsApp, the experience for your contacts varies depending on several factors. The visibility of this change is influenced by how your contacts have saved your number and their settings within the app.
Firstly, if a contact has saved your new phone number in their address book or contact list, they will see that you are now using this new number. WhatsApp periodically synchronizes with the device's contact list to update user information. Therefore, any changes made to your number in the contacts will reflect on WhatsApp for those who have updated their own contact lists.
Secondly, if a contact has not updated their address book and still has your old phone number saved, they might continue seeing your old number associated with your account. In this case, they would be unable to reach you using the old number, but WhatsApp will notify them that the number is no longer in use or is incorrect. This discrepancy can lead to confusion if not addressed promptly.
It's also important to note that group chats and broadcast lists are affected differently. If you change your phone number while being part of a group, other members might see a message indicating that you have changed your phone number. However, this notification is typically only visible within the group chat itself and does not extend to individual conversations.
Lastly, if privacy settings are configured to restrict who can see your phone number, changing your number will not override these settings. Contacts with whom you have limited visibility will still be unable to view your new phone number unless they are explicitly added to your contact list or the privacy settings are adjusted.
In summary, whether your contacts see that you have changed your WhatsApp number depends on their own address book updates and privacy settings within the app. To ensure a smooth transition, it is advisable to inform your contacts about the change and encourage them to update their contact lists accordingly.