Multi-device capability was recently touted by WhatsApp, and it has since begun to roll out to beta testers. You can use the same WhatsApp account on numerous devices with multi-device support without needing to have your phone connected to the internet. If you’re interested in using WhatsApp from each of your devices independently, continue reading to learn everything there is to know about WhatsApp’s multi-device capability. We will go over how to use WhatsApp on multiple devices, how to enable it, and how to see if you have access to the multi-device beta.
Use WhatsApp on Multiple Devices (2021)
As of the time this article was being written, WhatsApp was introducing multi-device beta compatibility for Android and iOS smartphones. It is a restricted release, so even if you are on a beta build, you might not always see the feature. Now that that is out of the way, let’s look at how to check if your WhatsApp account supports the multi-device feature and how to turn it on immediately.
What Is Multi-Device Support on WhatsApp and How it Works?
You can use your WhatsApp account simultaneously on your phone and up to four other devices thanks to WhatsApp’s multi-device capability. These include Facebook Portal, WhatsApp Web, WhatsApp Desktop for Windows, and WhatsApp Desktop for Mac. The nice part about this is that even if your phone loses its internet connection, you can still use WhatsApp on these devices. Currently, it is not possible to utilise the same WhatsApp account (or phone number) on two different phones.
It’s crucial to understand how multi-device support functions in order to allay privacy worries before we move on to the instructions for using a single WhatsApp account across various devices. In the end, privacy shouldn’t be sacrificed for convenience, especially in a private messaging app, right?
The WhatsApp app on your phone currently serves as the main device, and all other platforms, including the WhatsApp Web and Windows/Mac apps, rely on this connection to work. You must always keep your phone online in order to use WhatsApp Web or Desktop, for this reason. According to the present architecture, a message has the following life:
WhatsApp has updated its messaging app’s basic architecture to get around the restriction of needing an active phone. The company claims that it now employs a client-fanout strategy where each device has a unique identity key. Additionally, WhatsApp establishes a pairwise encrypted session during which the client encrypts the messages and sends them to all of the user’s connected devices.
According to WhatsApp, each message is independently encrypted using the pairwise encryption session that has been established with each device. Additionally, messages are not saved on the server once they have been delivered. For group communications, the firm uses a scalable sender key encryption method from the Signal Protocol. The new multi-device architecture for a WhatsApp message operates as follows: Picture through WhatsApp
How to Enroll in WhatsApp Multi-Device Beta
To try the multi-device feature at this time, you will require a WhatsApp beta build, and both the Android and iOS beta programmes are currently full. As a result, this is how to sign up for WhatsApp multi-device beta testing if you are already a member of WhatsApp’s beta programme:
1. Start WhatsApp, then click the vertical menu with three dots in the top right corner. Select Linked devices from the menu that appears.
2. If multi-device support has been added to your WhatsApp account, you will notice a new Multi-device beta option here. In order to enrol in WhatsApp’s multi-device beta programme, tap on it and select Join beta.
3. WhatsApp will now notify you that you must reconnect your auxiliary devices.
Use Same WhatsApp Account on Multiple Devices
Once you tap Continue to confirm your activity, the multi-device beta has been successfully joined. You can always return to the Linked devices settings page and opt out of the multi-device beta programme if you change your mind.
The time has come to link your devices since you registered for the multi-device beta. Follow these steps to do that:
1. Launch the WhatsApp Web or Desktop app on your PC and go to the Linked devices page on your phone. After the QR code pops up, click “Link a Device” on your phone and use your PC or Facebook portal device to scan it.
2. In a similar vein, you can simultaneously attach up to four devices. You can see in the image below that I have connected three browsers as well as the WhatsApp Desktop software for Windows to my account. Do bear in mind that if you don’t use your phone for more than 14 days, these connected devices will get disconnected.
WhatsApp Multi-Device Beta: First Impressions
3. You can touch on the target device from the Linked devices tab and select the Log out option if you no longer want to use WhatsApp on that particular device. As an alternative, you have the option to log out of the concerned device.
According to my limited testing, WhatsApp’s multi-device capability operated without a hitch on all of my connected devices. Without having to have my phone connected to the internet, I was able to send messages, emoticons, GIFs, voice notes, and conduct voice and video conversations. The finest element was how quickly and flawlessly all of the connected devices synced the chat history.
If I had to select one thing, it would be that I couldn’t access my starred stickers while using WhatsApp on several devices. I was dismayed to learn that the multi-device beta doesn’t sync my starred stickers because I frequently use non-WhatsApp store third-party stickers. There is a workaround though; you can forward those stickers as a new message by scrolling through your chat history. After then, you can send them later after seeing them in the recent stickers section. It’s not exactly practical, but it works.
Speaking of conversation histories, you can’t see them all across connected devices. I was only able to see chats that were older than three months. A caution appears as I scroll past it, requesting that I check WhatsApp on my phone to access the entire chat history.
Potential Privacy Concern with WhatsApp Multi-Device Feature
Another restriction is that if you are using the multi-device beta, you cannot pin chats on WhatsApp Web or Desktop. For users that utilise pinned chats to swiftly communicate with their team, save notes, transmit photographs across devices, or for other use-cases, that might be a significant nuisance. With the exception of these, I believe WhatsApp’s development team did an outstanding job with the multi-device capability.
I implore you to allow theWhatsApp Web is presently activenotification once more if you previously disabled it because the WhatsApp Web and Desktop apps now support multi-device usage. I understand that persistent notifications may seem annoying to certain users, however WhatsApp Web has improved significantly since the introduction of multi-device functionality. If you don’t frequently visit the Linked Devices tab, you might not quickly notice if someone is abusing your account.
WhatsApp Multi-Device Limitations
I tried utilising WhatsApp Web to send several messages, but I quickly deleted them by selecting the Delete for me option. Since the sync functions so well, it doesn’t leave a trace on your phone, making it unlikely that unaware users would even notice that their WhatsApp account has been stolen. However, this only has a small impact. Your PIN or fingerprint and physical access to your phone are both required by the malicious actor in order to enrol a device and launch a fresh multi-device session.
- Checking Live location on linked devices
- Pinning chats on WhatsApp Web or Desktop
- Joining, viewing, and resetting group invites from WhatsApp Web and Desktop
- Contacting someone with an outdated WhatsApp version
- Calling from Portal or WhatsApp Desktop to linked devices that aren t enrolled in the multi-device beta
- Other WhatsApp accounts on your Portal won t work unless those accounts have joined the multi-device beta
- WhatsApp Business users can t edit business names or labels from WhatsApp Web or Desktop
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can I Use the Same WhatsApp Account on Two Phones?
After all of that, the following are WhatsApp’s thorough descriptions of the multi-device beta’s known limitations:
2. Can Someone See My WhatsApp Messages from Another Phone?
No, using the same WhatsApp account (or phone number) on two different phones is not possible. However, you could access WhatsApp Web from your second phone. Open WhatsApp Web in desktop mode on your phone, then scan the QR code to access WhatsApp on your second phone’s browser.
3. How Many Devices Can Be Connected to WhatsApp?
No one can read your WhatsApp messages from another phone as long as they don’t have physical access to your Android or iOS phone, don’t log into your account on WhatsApp Web, and switch off WhatsApp Web notification.
4. Does WhatsApp Have Multi-Device Support?
You can link a total of four devices to your WhatsApp account in addition to your primary phone. These gadgets could be Facebook Portal, WhatsApp Web, or desktop. Currently, it is not possible to use WhatsApp on two phones.
5. How to Join WhatsApp Multi-Device Beta?
Currently, WhatsApp is testing multi-device capability on iOS and Android in the beta channel. In the near future, WhatsApp will support numerous devices.
WhatsApp Multi-Device Support Explained
You can access the WhatsApp multi-device beta through the Linked devices tab if you’re a member of the WhatsApp beta programme. The steps to sign up for WhatsApp’s multi-device beta have been outlined above.