Search

WhatsApp Phone Numbers Surface on Google: Should You Worry?

The issue isn’t something new as it was first reported back in February by WhatsApp features tracker WaBetaInfo.

Advertisement
Highlights
  • WhatsApp allows users to create dedicated links of their profiles
  • The feature makes random phone numbers visible on Google
  • WhatsApp doesn’t reveal any personal data of users
WhatsApp Phone Numbers Surface on Google: Should You Worry?

WhatsApp isn’t revealing the phone numbers of users who have not used the “Click to Chat” feature

WhatsApp numbers of random users are showing up on Google because of the company's “Click to Chat” feature that helps generate dedicated links of user profiles. A researcher, who claims to have discovered the development, calls it a privacy issue and says that it leaks nearly three lakh phone numbers of WhatsApp users in plaintext. However, the issue isn't as serious as it is being portrayed in the media as it only makes the phone numbers of those users searchable on Google who have chosen to make them public by generating their links. Also, no names or other private details are popping in Google Search.

Update: WhatsApp has seemingly resolved the issue that was causing phone numbers to show up on Google. We can confirm that the numbers are not visible in search results anymore. 

The Click to Chat feature of WhatsApp allows you to create a link through which someone can connect with your WhatsApp profile directly. This omits the need of adding a phone number to your contact list to chat and gives a way to connect with individuals on the messaging app directly by using a link that includes the phone number of the WhatsApp contact.

WhatsApp has the Click to Chat feature for quite some time, and it's been used by several businesses to connect with their customers without requiring them to store their numbers.

The issue was first reported by WhatsApp features tracker WaBetaInfo in February this year —around the same time when people found WhatsApp group chat invite links being indexed by Google Search. The group invite issue was fixed shortly after it came in the headlines as it could have allowed random people join private groups.

The phone number indexing is now back in news because researcher Athul Jayaram claims to “have discovered this privacy issue,” even though it has been known for a while in the wild, as we mentioned earlier.

Jayaram noted in a post on Medium that the mobile numbers associated with the links created through the Click to Chat feature are visible on Google Search as WhatsApp hasn't restricted search engines to index the domain wa.me that is used for those links. He also mentioned that various marketing executives, cybercriminals, and fraudsters could target the users whose numbers are visible on Google through the indexing of the wa.me links.

Having said that, it is important to note that apart from phone numbers, Google doesn't have a record of any other personal data of users who've used the Click to Chat feature of WhatsApp. Jayaram in some cases found that he was able to notice profile pictures and profile statuses of the users whose numbers are visible on search results. However, those details are only available if the users have set their visibility for everyone and one has to open each contact inside the WhatsApp to see their profile picture, an arduous task.

Jayaram reached WhatsApp parent Facebook last month to report his discovery under a bug-bounty programme. However, he said that the social networking giant rejected his report by saying that its Data Abuse Bounty programme doesn't cover WhatsApp.

In a statement to Gadgets 360, a WhatsApp spokesperson said that while the messaging app is a part of the bounty programme, the researcher's report didn't qualify for a bounty since it “merely contained a search engine index of URLs that WhatsApp users chose to make public.”

That said, Jayaram noted in his post that WhatsApp should care about the issue and avoid it by disallowing the bots from crawling user links and encrypting the mobile numbers of its users who have created links using the Click to Chat feature.

Editor's Note: Updated with WhatsApp's statement.


In 2020, will WhatsApp get the killer feature that every Indian is waiting for? We discussed this on Orbital, our weekly technology podcast, which you can subscribe to via Apple Podcasts or RSS, download the episode, or just hit the play button below.

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.

Further reading: WhatsApp, Google
 
Show Full Article
Please wait...
Advertisement

Related Stories

Popular Mobile Brands
  1. Itel Super Guru 4G Max Launched in India With Built-In AI Voice Assistant
  2. OnePlus Pad Lite Launched in India With 11-Inch Display, 9,340mAh Battery
  3. Pioneer VREC-H320SC Dashcam Review
  4. Moto G86 Power India Launch Date Confirmed: Check Features, Colour Options
  5. Vivo X200 FE Now Available for Purchase in India: See Price and Offers
  6. Dude OTT Release Reportedly Revealed Online: What You Need to Know About Pradeep Rangathan Starrer M
  7. Meta Is Improving Safety for Teen Accounts on Instagram With New Features
  8. Realme 15 5G Series Launching Today: All You Need to Know
  9. Redmi to Launch Two New Smartphones in India by July 24
  1. Realme 15 5G Series Launching Today: Know Price in India, Features and Specifications
  2. SpaceX Launches Two O3b mPOWER Satellites, Successfully Lands Falcon 9 Booster at Sea
  3. Astronomers Solve Betelgeuse’s 6-Year Dimming Mystery by Spotting Secret Companion Star
  4. Google I/O Connect India 2025: Eight Indian Startups Showcased Applications Built With Google's AI Models
  5. Microsoft Knew of SharePoint Security Flaw but Failed to Effectively Patch It, Timeline Shows
  6. Meta Announces New Safety Features for Instagram Teen Accounts, Adult-Managed Profiles for Children
  7. Itel Super Guru 4G Max Feature Phone Launched in India With 3-Inch Display, Built-In AI Voice Assistant
  8. Vivo Y400 5G to House a Bigger Battery Than the Pro-Model: Report
  9. PayPal Partners With NPCI, Others to Build Cross-Border Payments Platform Focused on Interoperability
  10. Ubisoft Confirms Assassin's Creed Shadows Is Coming to 'Other Machines', Suggesting a Switch 2 Port
Gadgets 360 is available in
Download Our Apps
App Store App Store
Available in Hindi
App Store
© Copyright Red Pixels Ventures Limited 2025. All rights reserved.
Trending Products »
Latest Tech News »