WhatsApp is one of the most popular messengers for Android, iOS, Windows Phone and numerous other platforms. In contrast to SMS, where you have to pay per message or SMS Flat, where a monthly fee is due, WhatsApp only pays around 1 euro per year. The first year is even free on Android. Accordingly, you can send as many messages as you want.
But what if you get a new SIM card and you can’t or don’t want to take the previous phone number with you? After all, you exchanged messages with other people. If someone else is given the previous phone number, can they read all my messages in WhatsApp? We try to answer this question below.
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WhatsApp: number changes what happens to my messages?
The scenario often happens that you get a new mobile number and then someone else gets the old one in the near future. Messages in WhatsApp are finally forwarded to that number.
What does that mean? This means that the messages that are sent to you are on your smartphone. If you now only reset your cell phone and have not made a backup, all chats are gone, although your telephone number has remained the same.
This in turn means that if someone else receives your previous phone number, they cannot read your messages either, because chats in WhatsApp are only saved locally on the device, so that the other person cannot read the WhatsApp chats.This could be of interest to you Our smartphone recommendations for Christmas 2019 – Find out more!
Tell friends the new phone number also regarding WhatsApp
If you get a new phone number, friends have to change it not only in the contacts, but also in WhatsApp. If, of course, they still write to the old phone number, the stranger will receive these chats if you have already changed the number in WhatsApp.
However, if you still leave your old phone number in WhatsApp, then your friends can of course also send messages to you under this.
Conclusion: This happens in WhatsApp when my phone number changes
To summarize the results again: If your phone number changes, you must of course tell your friends. Now changes the number in WhatsApp and also communicates this. If your friends still write to the old number in WhatsApp, a stranger may receive these messages.
They will not receive your previous chats because the chats are saved locally on the device. Therefore, even if your phone number changes, you can still read your old chats.