How to Share a Contact on WhatsApp

Forward WhatsApp contacts and more via chat

By
Jerri Ledford
Jerri Ledford
Jerri Ledford
Writer, Editor, Fact Checker
  • Western Kentucky University
  • Gulf Coast Community College
Jerri L. Ledford has been writing, editing, and fact-checking tech stories since 1994. Her work has appeared in Computerworld, PC Magazine, Information Today, and many others.
lifewire's editorial guidelines
Updated on March 8, 2021
Reviewed by
Jerrick Leger
Jerrick Leger headshot
Reviewed by Jerrick Leger
Jerrick Leger is a CompTIA-certified IT Specialist with more than 10 years' experience in technical support and IT fields. He is also a systems administrator for an IT firm in Texas serving small businesses.
lifewire's editorial guidelines

What to Know

  • In WhatsApp chats, click the + icon on iPhone or paperclip icon on Android, tap Contact, choose a contact, tap Done or the send icon.
  • Tap the checkmark next to any information you don't want to share.
  • You can also share contacts with others directly from your iPhone or Android contact list.

This article includes instructions for sharing contacts from within a chat on WhatsApp, sharing contacts from your phone's contact list, and how to allow access to contacts on WhatsApp.

How to Forward a WhatsApp Contact to Someone in Chat

There might be any number of reasons that you want to share WhatsApp contacts with someone in chat. Whatever the reason, it's a matter of attaching the contact information to a chat message. Here's how to do that.

  1. When you're in a chat with someone on WhatsApp, tap the + icon at the bottom of the screen on iPhone or the paperclip icon on Android.

  2. In the menu that appears, tap Contact.

  3. Select the contact you want to send.

    Screenshots of choosing a contact to attach in WhatsApp.

  4. Tap Done on iPhone or the Send arrow on Android.

  5. The contact opens on the screen. Tap the checkmark next to any information you don't want to share to deselect it.

  6. When you're done, tap Send and the contact card will appear in the WhatsApp chat window.

    Screenshots of sending a contact in WhatsApp.

How to Share a Contact in WhatsApp From Your iPhone Contacts List

Another way to share contacts on WhatsApp is directly from the contact list on your iPhone. This is handy if you have a contact on your phone that doesn't show up on WhatsApp.

  1. Open your iPhone's Contacts app and tap the contact you want to share.

  2. On the Contact Detail page, tap Share Contact.

  3. In the share options that appear, find and select WhatsApp.

    Screenshots of sharing an iPhone contact to WhatsApp.

  4. Choose the WhatsApp contact you want to send the information to.

  5. Then the contact opens, and you can tap the checkmark next to any information you don't want to send to deselect it. When you're done, tap Send.

    Screenshots of sending an iPhone contact to WhatsApp.

How to Share a Contact in WhatsApp from Your Android Contacts List

Sharing a contact to WhatsApp directly from your Android contacts is slightly different from iPhone, but it isn't any more difficult.

  1. Open your Android's Contacts app and tap the contact you want to share.

  2. When the contact opens, tap the Share icon at the bottom of the screen.

  3. Choose whether to share the contact as a File or Text in the message that appears. We recommend choosing the text option because this gives you the chance to delete any information you don't want to share with your WhatsApp contact.

    Screenshots of sharing an Android contact in WhatsApp.

  4. Find and tap WhatsApp in your sharing options.

  5. Tap the contact you want to share the information with, and then tap the Send arrow.

  6. WhatsApp opens with the contact information populated. Tap the Send arrow to send the information.

    Screenshots of sending an Android contact on WhatsApp.

Allowing Access to Contacts in WhatsApp

When you first set up your WhatsApp account, you may have synced your phone contacts with the app. But you also may have chosen not to. Before you can send contacts to other people on WhatsApp, you'll need to allow contact syncing.

  • Allow Contact Syncing on iPhone: Go to Settings > Privacy > Contacts and confirm that WhatsApp is toggled on.
  • Allow Contact Syncing on Android: Go to Settings > Accounts > WhatsApp > select the three-dot icon and tap Sync your WhatsApp. If you don't find WhatsApp under Accounts, you'll need to add it before you can sync your contacts.

Once you've synced your contacts, you can share any of them from your device to WhatsApp.

Was this page helpful?