Adding your WhatsApp account to an Accounts Center
What is WhatsApp in Accounts Center?
Accounts Center is a place where you can centrally manage account settings and connected experiences across your Facebook, Instagram and Meta account. Adding your WhatsApp account to Accounts Center is completely optional. You can add and remove your WhatsApp account to and from Accounts Center at any time.
By adding your WhatsApp account to Accounts Center, you’ll unlock experiences that work across Meta apps, like the ability to easily share your Status created on WhatsApp to Stories on Facebook or Instagram. You’ll also be able to manage some account settings in one place, like adjusting profile information. Adding your WhatsApp account to Accounts Center means WhatsApp and Meta will share information to provide these benefits, which we explain below and in the WhatsApp Privacy Policy.
Adding your WhatsApp account to Accounts Center does not impact the privacy of your WhatsApp personal messages or calls, which will remain end-to-end encrypted. No one else, not even WhatsApp or Meta, can read or listen to them. We also do not share your contact lists with any other Meta Company.
Of course, WhatsApp relies on Meta’s infrastructure, such as servers, to support people around the world with fast and reliable services. However, access to WhatsApp personal data is restricted so it will not be used by other Meta apps – including for ads - unless it’s to determine how many people we serve, keep people safe, or to provide optional features that work across Meta products.
WhatsApp in Accounts Center is one of these optional features. Other optional features include chatting with Meta AI or messaging businesses that are using Meta’s business tools. Optional features are always explained clearly in the app so you can make the choice that’s right for you.
What information is collected by WhatsApp when I add my WhatsApp account to Accounts Center?
The WhatsApp Privacy Policy describes information that WhatsApp collects on its services. When you choose to add your WhatsApp account to Accounts Center, WhatsApp also collects information such as:
- Device and connection information, such as a unique ID created every time you use WhatsApp in Accounts Center.
- Usage and log information about how WhatsApp in Accounts Center is performing, like service-related, diagnostic and performance information, e.g. log files, timestamps, cross-post activity, and maintenance logs.
To enable you to use connected experiences available through Accounts Center, WhatsApp also receives information from other Meta Companies, such as:
- Account information, such as identifiers related to the Facebook or Instagram accounts in the same Accounts Center you are cross-posting information to.
- Device and connection information required to connect your Facebook or Instagram accounts to your WhatsApp account.
- Your age information as stated on Meta accounts (e.g. Facebook), which helps us to do things like reconcile any age-discrepancy, and determine eligibility for Meta Company Products.
What information will Meta receive about me if I add my WhatsApp account to Accounts Center?
When you choose to add your WhatsApp account to Accounts Center, other Meta Companies receive information such as:
- Account information, such as your phone number and your WhatsApp profile picture (to display it on your Accounts Center Settings, for example).
- Age information (if provided), which helps Meta do things like reconcile any age-discrepancy, and determine eligibility for Meta Company Products.
- User content such as your WhatsApp Status, if you have shared your Status updates to Facebook or Instagram Stories.
- Device and connection information, such as your app version or your set device language in WhatsApp.
- Usage and log information, which includes information on how you use our services, such as whether you’ve added your WhatsApp account to Accounts Center and how you use it, or how many times you’ve shared your WhatsApp Status to Facebook or Instagram Stories.
- Information related to your use of Channels if applicable (learn more about Information We Collect for Channels).
For what purposes does WhatsApp use my info if I add my WhatsApp account to Accounts Center?
When you add your WhatsApp account to Accounts Center, WhatsApp uses your info for purposes such as the following:
- Providing you with services for WhatsApp in Accounts Center and to facilitate the functioning of features and experiences on WhatsApp, which include things like:
- Checking your account eligibility and adding your WhatsApp account to Accounts Center.
- Adjusting your account information and settings to match them across accounts.
- Enabling single-sign-on to easily access WhatsApp if your device is already logged into another Meta account in the same Accounts Center.
- Providing controls over connected experiences, like sharing your WhatsApp Status to Facebook or Instagram Stories.
- Improving WhatsApp Services and products, such as WhatsApp in Accounts Center, and this includes things like:
- Troubleshooting, diagnosing, analyzing and debugging product issues.
- Monitoring service performance, reliability, and efficiency.
- Updating existing and developing new features, and undertaking experiments to evaluate the impact of new features in Accounts Center.
- Generating and validating metrics to understand how well and often WhatsApp in Accounts Center is being used, to forecast future adoption of features in Accounts Center.
- Working with other Meta Companies to use the information across the accounts in the same Accounts Center to do things like:
- Associate your WhatsApp account with other Meta Company Products accounts in Accounts Center.
- Provide you with the connected experiences you have chosen and to improve your experiences across accounts.
How does Meta use my data if I add my WhatsApp account to Accounts Center?
If you choose to add your WhatsApp account to Accounts Center, Meta will use your information as described in the Meta Privacy Policy, to do things like provide, personalize, and improve its products and services, including to show you ads, measure their performance, and provide more personalized features, content, and suggestions across Meta Company Products, as well as promote safety, security and integrity. Meta’s own terms and privacy policy will govern your use of Meta services and products.
Of course, WhatsApp relies on Meta’s infrastructure, such as servers, to support people around the world with fast and reliable services. However, access to WhatsApp personal data is restricted so it will not be used by other Meta apps – including for ads - unless it’s to determine how many people we serve, keep people safe, or to provide optional features that work across Meta products.
WhatsApp in Accounts Center is one of these optional features. Other optional features include chatting with Meta AI or messaging businesses that are using Meta’s business tools. Optional features are always explained clearly in the app so you can make the choice that’s right for you.
Does adding WhatsApp to Accounts Center affect whether Meta uses my information when I message a business or share my info with them?
Having your accounts in the same Accounts Center does not affect whether your info is used if you choose to share it with businesses or if you message them on our products.
Learn more about how Meta uses your information across your accounts in the same Accounts Center.
Which of my settings will change?
Adding your WhatsApp account to Accounts Center will allow you to manage certain settings in one place for your WhatsApp accounts, and any other accounts you have in the same Accounts Center. These include things like adjusting your profile information across accounts, and whether to always cross-post Status across your apps. For a full list of settings controlled through Accounts Center, read more here.
What if I don’t want to add my WhatsApp account to Accounts Center?
You don’t have to. Adding your WhatsApp account to Accounts Center is completely optional. If you choose not to add your WhatsApp account to the same Accounts Center as your Facebook or Instagram accounts, you can still use WhatsApp like you always have.
What if I add my WhatsApp account to Accounts Center and then change my mind?
If you add your WhatsApp account to Accounts Center, you allow us to combine and use your information across accounts in Accounts Center on different Meta Company Products. You can remove your WhatsApp account from Accounts Center at any time.
If you remove your WhatsApp account from Accounts Center, we’ll stop combining your info between your WhatsApp account and the other accounts still in your Accounts Center within 15 days. If you remove your WhatsApp account, your previously combined info would remain combined.
I opted out of sharing my WhatsApp account information with Meta in 2016. How does adding my WhatsApp account to Accounts Center impact me?
If you opted out of sharing your WhatsApp account information with Meta to improve Meta ads and product experiences in 2016, then adding your WhatsApp account to Accounts Center means that you are opting into this sharing, and all sharing associated with Accounts Center as described above.