Potentially paranoid WhatsApp question

[Chuckthefucklebrothers]

So I've been seeing this bloke for about 6 weeks now, when we first got together he was having issues with his phone network & changed his number (hmm...)

When he WhatsApps me, it shows up as his old number, when he texts, it's the new number. Am I missing something or has he got two phones (or at least two sims) on the go?

Thanks so much if anyone a bit more tech-savvy than me can answer this one!

Could he maybe have two devices? I have a tablet and a mobile that I text and what's app from. They have different sim cards so different numbers. Not necessarily fishy. Lots of people have two devices nowadays.

But then the bit about network issues. .. I don't know!

Could just be something odd in the WhatsApp verification process.

It is possible to move your WhatsApp "account" from one number to another.

If he is using the same phone but a different sim. His number on whatsapp will stay the same as the old number as it is the one he registered with.

Hope that makessense

He has about a million devices (bit of a techy geek)! So maybe not dodgy then? The new number was (so he says) supposed to be a temporary one for a couple of days but then he ended up stuck with it. Hmm.

This is what I would do - go into Contacts on my phone and make sure that his two phone numbers are totally different entries. Not one Contact with two numbers but two contacts

e.g. Dave Old and Dave New.

Give them BOTH different names to the name he is currently under.

Then go into WhatsApp and look at which name shows up.

Then you should know for sure which number is associated with the WhatsApp account - because WhatsApp shows people not under their "WhatsApp registered name" but under whatever name you have on your phone for that number.

Thanks for the replies - hashtag, are you completely certain about that? I wondered if that could be the case, if so, it's one less thing to be paranoid about!

Most definitely dh is having to use dd's phone at the minute whilst his is getting fixed and he still comes up under dds name and number if he uses whatsapp as it was her who registered

Trill, I did exactly that. His WhatsApp messages come up as Bloke Old Number. The contact entry for his other number has the 'invite Bloke to join WhatsApp' message.

Hashtag has a good point about new SIM in an existing phone - WhatsApp will keep working because it's already set up.

He should TELL WhatsApp about his new number, otherwise if he has to reset his phone (or if he gets a new phone) then he'll lose all his old messages (because he won't be able to re-register with the same number, because that number is lost). Also any new people won't be able to find and contact him, because WhatsApp has him registered under the old number.

Brilliant, thanks Hashtag, that's good enough for me!

It's the complicated thing where WhatsApp uses your phone number to find your contacts and to register you, but then doesn't actually USE your phone number at all.

My H changed his number on his phone. His old number was totally deactivated by the service provider.

Our whatsapp message stream from before the number change is still in my whatsapp BUT all messages since the change are in a new stream as his whatsapp is now registered to his new number and so whatsapp doesn't connect them to the old number iyswim.

For you to still be receiving whatsapp messages from his old number suggests to me that that number is still active and registered to a phone of his. I would be paranoid too and wondering why he has 2 phones.

sorry

I just double checked chuck and 100% calls and texts are dps actual number but whatsapp is dd's number.

Slayer - oh bum.

Thanks for checking Hashtag. But like Slayer says, that number shouldn't be active anymore should it?

If it smells fishy.......

I'd back away a bit and keep looking elsewhere. 6 weeks in and you are already suspicious? Not a good start.

I should add, my H changed his number by ringing the service provider and they sorted it over the phone. He didn't have to get a new SIM or anything like that.

Thought I'd mention it in case your partner did his number change differently and that's the reason behind it.

If he didn't actually cancel the last number and just put a new sim in the phone. It would still be active?

Id say to him 'how strange, your whatsapp messages still come up with your old number' and see what he says!

However I think PP is right and whatsapp use your number for purposes of registering but don't actually use it for the sending of messages IYSWIM?

He switched networks, apparently, so would have had a new sim I think.

Gotta go to work now, will be back later - thanks everyone x

It's really shitty when you have feelings like this. You don't want to risk being told you're overreacting and you don't want to come across as paranoid, especially so early in the relationship.

But you know what, you should be able to ask him and if he's a good guy and there's a logical explanation, you'll get it.

Me? I'm jaded as I'm currently separated from my H due to lots of secrets and lies maintained via social media, so I would back away. But, if you don't ask, I guess you'll never know. And if you feel you can't ask then I think maybe he's not the right one for you anyway.

x

WhatsApp only pays attention to what SIM is in the phone at the time when it registers - because it sends a text with the confirmation of "this is really your number yeah?".

After that, it is still logged in as chucksDP and when he changed SIM WhatsApp had no reason to pay any attention to the number at that time.

It uses phone numbers to say user1234 knows user5678 but it doesn't actually send its messages using the phone number.

could he have a duel sim phone?