Why are my contacts not displayed in WhatsApp?

If your friend does not appear in the WhatsApp Contacts list:

  • Ensure that your friend is using WhatsApp Messenger.
  • Make sure that you have your friend's phone number in your phone's address book. If they live in a different country, make sure to save their number in full international format.
  • Make sure that you have the latest version of WhatsApp. You can download it here.
  • Make sure you have allowed WhatsApp to access your phone's contacts in your device security or permission settings.
  • In your phone's address book, make sure that all contact accounts (i.e. SIM, Google, Phone) are set to "visible" or "viewable".
  • In your phone's address book, ensure that all contact groups (i.e. Friends, Family) are set to "visible" or "viewable".
  • We recommend that you make your contacts "not visible" and then "visible" to force a refresh. After doing this, open WhatsApp > Contacts > Menu Button > Refresh.

Alternatively, you can choose to show all your contacts, not just the "visible" ones. To do this, go to Menu Button > Settings > Contacts > Show all contacts.

Cheers,
WhatsApp Support Team