OLD taking off the app

[ZebedeeStan]

Hi everyone. An ‘older’ person here (60s) on OLD! I’ve been talking to someone on the app and now, as my membership has ended, he has given me his number to WhatsApp. Also friends who are on OLD like to WhatsApp before meeting. These two scenarios lead to my question - and I suspect I know the answer - but if I give him my mobile number, is there any way I can do that without him finding out my actual name? Because I am v wary, I give out my middle name and pre-marriage surname, which is not what is on my WhatsApp. If I change WhatsApp, that will confuse my real friends. Any way around this? I don’t really want two phones! But I want to remain anonymous until I’m ready.

So I hope im not telling you the wrong thing as ive also been in this situation a few times, but I think if you give him your number he wont automatically see your name -he will see you as the name he puts you under when he adds you.
If he gave you his number and you added him, he would see your name.
At least, as far as im aware and happy for someone to correct me.

Thanks for this @roslyn80. He has given me his number so it would be me adding him. Then I assume were I to WhatsApp him, he would have my number and see my name? I think he would like a call, so for that we’d need to come off the app, even if my subscription wasn’t ending. As mentioned, people do seem to like to do that, and we are not particularly local to each other, so it does make sense.

No he wont see your name, it will come up as whatever name he saves you as.
I have plenty of friends on watsapp saved under nicknames not thier real names. If l go into thier profiles l cant see thier real name.

Thanks @roslyn80 I can see what you mean! I’ve also updated privacy settings.

Wassap gave me the surname of someone. I wouldn’t have known it otherwise. I’m guessing it provides information linked to the phone number.

Hi, you can check - Go to settings - the name under your photo will be what he sees BEFORE he adds you as a contact.
You can change this and it will only show to people who don’t have you saved as a contact.

If you have been added to group chats with people you don’t know, you can see names (I would show as ~Ostridge) or just numbers, depending on how people set themselves up.

You can delete your name and it will only show your number if that’s easier/less confusing.

No advice on giving your number out to someone on old though!

You could try the app Telegram instead of WhatsApp? You don’t have to give names or telephone numbers out there as it’s all done on the username you choose, so it’d be a way for you to chat safely until you’re ready for more…

AI tells me that my name will
show up If I message him and he doesn’t have me saved as a contact. However I think now I’ve changed my settings to ‘nobody’, hopefully that should do it. Does that sound right? Thank you again!

@Thewordwomble thanks - I didn’t know about Telegraph. However if I can do this from WhatsApp, that’s probably easier for my brain! And saves me having to go through any potential complications with him. Especially as I disappear from the OLD app today.