Hide phone number on WhatsApp: However, sometimes people are bothered that it is an online phone that shows my number. There can be various reasons why people want to know how to hide phone numbers on Android or mask phone numbers on WhatsApp.
There is no built-in mechanism to hide phone numbers in WhatsApp, but some workarounds may help you achieve this goal without compromising your data or security.
So, let us dive into the details right away.
Part 1: How to Hide Your Number on WhatsApp?
Since there is no built-in mechanism for hiding numbers on WhatsApp, we have to take help from other applications to figure out how to hide phone numbers on Android. There are various methods, including;
1. Create a Google Voice Phone number
The best answer to how to hide phone numbers on Android or any other platform is to use a virtual phone number. The virtual phone service we are discussing today is the Google Voice Phone number, and you can use the Google Voice phone number to make free calls and communicate through text messages and call forwarding. So, how to mask phone numbers on WhatsApp using Google Virtual phone service.
First of all, you need to install the application. So, here are the steps to download and install Google virtual phone number service.
- Step 1: Go to your Play Store or App store according to your platform and search for the google voice app. Then download and install the service to get started.
- Step 2: The next step is to register your account. So, log into your Google account, or if you have already logged in, hit on the “Continue As your-account-name” button.
- Step 3: Now, spend some time with the terms and conditions and then hit the accept button.
Now you need to select a location to link with your virtual phone number to move on to the solution of how to mask phone numbers.
- Step 4: Search for the location according to your choice with area, city, or state. When you can locate your preferred place, hit the select button.
- Step 5: From now on, you can easily follow the Google wizard instructions and get the Google virtual number.
2. Change your number
You have acquired a virtual number that you can use to hide your real phone number on WhatsApp. So, use this number to register for a WhatsApp account, or if you already registered your physical number with WhatsApp, you can go on to change your number.
Your last phone number must be verified, so here is how you will ensure this.
- Step 1: Launch WhatsApp on your phone and open the menu in the top right corner by clicking the three dots.
- Step 2: In the menu, go to the Settings sub-menu.
- Step 3: Click on your profile photo; if your number is verified, it will show here and if it is not verified, follow the instructions.
So, now is when we can finally change the phone number on WhatsApp to address how to hide phone numbers on Android.
- Step 4: Open the menu at the top right corner on the WhatsApp screen by clicking the three dots.
- Step 5: Go to Settings > Account option.
- Step 6: Click on the Change number option; you will see a warning; move ahead by clicking the next button.
- Step 7: Enter the new number and the existing numbers on the respective fields and hit the next button.
- Step 8: In the next step, you will select who will be notified about the change. You can select it according to your preference and click the done button to move on.
- Step 9: So, all we are left with is the verification of the new number. This step is required in both cases, whether you change the number or register a new WhatsApp account.
- Step 10: You can receive the OTP SMS and code directly from the Google Voice app. Enter this code to WhatsApp, and Voila! Your verification is complete.
So this is how you can answer these frequently asked questions about how to hide phone numbers on Android? What can someone do with your phone number? How to mask a phone number?
Part 2: How to Protect Your Personal WhatsApp Data
What can someone do with your phone number?
As the world is moving towards more and more digitization, digital identity is becoming critical, and your phone number is an important part of it. Your cell phone number can be used to access your secure data online, including your email, social media, bank accounts, financial information, and much more.
Scammers can use your phone number to do your private data mining and later use it for scamming, blackmailing, and even selling it again. So, you must take great precautions before sharing your phone number, especially online, on social media, and in any public setup.
Now, you must have got an idea why people are usually concerned about how to hide phone numbers on Android? And how to mask a phone number? So, everyone must be trying to boost online privacy and as we are talking about WhatsApp, let’s discuss what steps can be taken for a secure online presence for you on WhatsApp.
You can keep your conversations and related data on your WhatsApp backup. Though it may sound fascinating to have a backup to restore in case of a phone problem or a new phone, you should remember that this data is not very securely encrypted and can land in scammers’ hands.
Secondly, turn on WhatsApp’s two-factor authentication. It will ask you to enter a six-digit code but not always. So, it will not hinder your working or smoothness of use but will ask you a PIN a few times to log in, adding another layer of authentication. It can be turned on in the settings menu.
Also, go to the privacy settings and restrict who can see your private information, your online status, and so on.
In the worst case, if you suspect someone else is accessing your WhatsApp and making any changes, you can check it.How to Check If Someone Else Is Accessing Your WhatsApp Account
Bonus: WaLastseen – WhatsApp tracker App
WaLastseen is an innovative app that lets you keep track of your friends’ online activity and know how much time they spend on WhatsApp. With real-time notifications, you can stay up to date with your friends’ online status, and track multiple accounts at the same time.
- Check whether your friends are online or not on WhatsApp.
- Know how much time they spend on WhatsApp.
- Real-time notification for when your friends come online or go offline.
- Track multiple accounts at the same time.
Part 3: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Do I have to Use My Real Phone Number on WhatsApp?
WhatsApp uses your phone number to send the verification codes while registering your account. So, yes, you have to use your real phone number on WhatsApp. So, this is a type of online phone that shows the phone number. However, you can also use a landline number or a virtual phone number. In such cases, you would use call-based authentication instead of text authentication using OTP.
2. How to Use WhatsApp Without a Phone Number?
According to the detailed guide of ways to use WhatsApp without phone number, you can use your landline number or a virtual number to register your WhatsApp account. In this case, you will be using voice authentication instead of SMS.
3. How to Change WhatsApp Number Without Notifying Contacts?
WhatsApp has always gained in its security features. Since it is like an online phone that shows the phone number when you switch your WhatsApp number, it is pretty obvious, and your contacts get a notification about the change. So, if you want to keep the change unnoticed and swift, you will have to perform a few extra steps. We are not going into the details in this write-up; you can find the step-by-step guide in the article How to Change WhatsApp Number Without Notifying Contacts?
4. How To Hide Your Online Status In WhatsApp While Chatting?
Sometimes you might want to know how to hide phone numbers on Android while chatting and mask phone numbers on iPhone. The reason can be that you wonder what someone can do with your phone number, and you want to keep it secure.
Also, hiding online status on WhatsApp while chatting is critical for people who are big on privacy and need this feature. Some methods are discussed in the article How To Hide Your Online Status In WhatsApp While Chatting?
Conclusion
WhatsApp is a popular messaging application, and most of us think it is very secure and private. However, you still need to take some steps to keep your online identity safe. We have discussed what someone can do with your phone number above. Keeping this in mind, it is important to know how to hide phone numbers on Android and how to mask phone numbers.
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