I use two devices for communication. A phone in my pocket, mainly used for voice calls and SMS, the other is a tablet that sits in the home office. This tablet has no SIM, It doesn't need it for Instagram etc , but I also use it for WhatsApp (because display is larger and better for my eyes compared to the phone.

The WhatsApp is mainly installed on the phone (with the SIM), but the tablet is used as a linked device.

It used to work real great until last week, the WhatsApp account was hacked, and I later got it back. So, I re-installed WhatsApp on the main device (phone), and linked the tablet. It is working now, but in a limbing way

The problem is that when the two devices were linked, the tablet imported WhatsApp AND the phone's list of contacts. The contact numbers are not exactly the same on the two devices. Even some common numbers (like family members) has slight spelling differences here and there. And I noticed that WhatsApp on the tablet only recognizes contact numbers from the phone, but not from the tablet.

A relative of mine, for example, chats with me almost daily, and he sent me something but all I can see is his phone number not his name, as if he is not in the contact list. Also, I wanted to write something to another relative who just got out of hospital but there was no way to write his number for a chat. Even when I added his name and number to the tablet contact list, it didn't appear in the WhatsApp list of contacts

Does someone know a way to let the App recognize the local contact list on the tablet ?

Thanks