How to Search and Find Contacts on WhatsApp Messenger

WhatsApp Messenger has become one of the most popular messaging apps, with over 2 billion users worldwide. A key feature of WhatsApp is the ability to easily connect with your existing contacts. Here is a guide on how to search for and find contacts on WhatsApp.

Add Existing Contacts

The easiest way to find contacts on WhatsApp is if they already exist in your phone’s contacts. Here are the steps:

  • Open the WhatsApp app and go to the Chats tab
  • Tap on the New Chat icon (it looks like a pencil in a square)
  • You will see a list of all your existing contacts who also use WhatsApp
  • Scroll through the list to find the contact you want to message
  • Tap on their name to start a chat

If a contact is missing from your WhatsApp contacts, first make sure:

  • They have WhatsApp installed
  • You have their phone number saved in your phone’s contacts

WhatsApp automatically syncs with your device’s local contacts, so having the number saved is required for them to show up in your WhatsApp contacts.

Search for Contacts

If you have a lot of contacts, finding someone specific can be difficult. WhatsApp’s search makes this easy:

Android Search

  • Open the Chats tab
  • Tap on the search icon at the top
  • Type the contact’s name or number
  • Select the matching contact

iPhone Search

  • Go to the Chats tab
  • Swipe down to reveal the search bar
  • Type the contact’s name or number
  • Select the matching contact

Searching will look through all of your WhatsApp contacts and display matches, making it easy to find anyone even if you have hundreds of contacts.

Invite New Contacts

What if the person you want to message hasn’t joined WhatsApp yet? You can invite them to sign up:

Android

  • Tap New Chat
  • Tap Invite Friends
  • Choose how to send the invite (message, email, etc)

iPhone

  • Go to the Chats tab
  • Tap the New Chat icon
  • Scroll to the bottom and tap Invite Friends
  • Choose how to send the invite

This will send an invite link for them to install WhatsApp and connect with you easily.

Add New Contacts

If you want to message someone new who isn’t a current contact, you can add them:

Android

  • Tap New Chat
  • Tap New Contact
  • Enter their name and phone number
  • Tap Save to add them

iPhone

  • Go to the Chats tab
  • Tap the New Chat icon
  • Scroll to the bottom and tap New Contact
  • Enter their name and phone number
  • Tap Done to add them

As long as you have their phone number, you can start a chat even without having them as an existing contact.

Syncing Contacts

It’s important that WhatsApp has permission to access your device’s contacts. This allows it to automatically sync any new numbers you add to your regular contacts.

To check this:

Android

  • Open your phone’s Settings app
  • Tap Apps & Notifications
  • Select WhatsApp
  • Enable Contacts permission

iPhone

  • Go to Settings
  • Scroll down and tap WhatsApp
  • Ensure Contacts is enabled

With contact syncing enabled, your WhatsApp contacts will always stay perfectly in sync as you add or remove contacts from your device.

Conclusion

Finding and messaging the people you want is easy with WhatsApp’s great contact integration. Keep your device contacts updated, use search to locate anyone, and utilize invites or manual add if needed to connect with new contacts. With these tips, you’ll master contacting on WhatsApp.