According to WABetaInfo, users would be able to add contacts to WhatsApp by scanning a QR code rather than the long manual process of adding someone’s phone number and then contacting him or her, after refreshing the WhatsApp database. The feature was spotted in an iOS version of the app but it is expected that the feature will also be available for Android users.
A similar feature is available on Instagram as Nametags and Snapchat as Snapcodes which allows users to add friends and followers by scanning a QR code so it is no surprise that this feature may soon be rolling out on WhatsApp too. The QR code generated by the app can be scanned by the phone’s camera and then WhatsApp will retrieve the user’s info and create a contact automatically. Users can also revoke a QR code so that it isn’t used indefinitely.
It’s expected that a UI refresh may also arrive with this new feature which will make the contact addition process more simpler. Essentially, even if you don’t have the QR code, you will be able to add contacts using WhatsApp rather than opening your phone’s default Contacts app.
This new feature, if rolled out, will be especially useful for business owners who would be able to include the QR code on their banners and social media posts for marketing. The same method is used for Instagram and Snapchat marketing so including WhatsApp would simply be icing on the cake.
There has been no official word from Facebook on this, however, so you should take all this with a grain of salt.
