WhatsApp has been testing a feature that allows users to link their accounts to secondary devices and send and receive messages without having to use their primary smartphone for several months. WhatsApp’s multi-device capability is available to both Android and iOS users. Even if you don’t have a smartphone, you may now view your WhatsApp conversations from a PC or WhatsApp Web. However, on the same account, only four devices can be connected to the messaging app at the same time.
The feature is still in the beta stage. Users need to opt-in for the feature that is still labeled as in “Beta” from the ‘Linked Devices’ setting in WhatsApp. Once enabled, users will be unlinked from all devices before re-linking a new device. Once linked, it will work as it has been since earlier. This time, however, you won’t have to make sure that your smartphone is online. Now, linked devices will be able to receive and send messages up to 14 days after the smartphone goes offline. This could be useful in a situation where the smartphone is misplaced and one needs to stay in touch, or if the battery of your smartphone runs out, your WhatsApp Web will still keep running.
Before beginning with the steps below, it is important to note that you must be on the latest WhatsApp version to get multi-device support and link your account to a secondary device. The feature is also currently in ‘beta’ and may, thus, result in some stability issues for the time being. Furthermore, it is limited to WhatsApp Web, Desktop, and Portal. This means that WhatsApp hasn’t yet enabled support for linking an Android phone or iPhone as a secondary device. You can also not connect your WhatsApp account using multi-device support to an Android tablet or iPad at this moment.
- Join multi-device beta by going to WhatsApp and then Settings > Linked Devices > Multi-Device Beta.
- Once done, go back to the Linked devices screen and then tap the Link a Device button to link a new device.
- You will now be required to scan a QR code available on your secondary device to link it with your WhatsApp account.
After linking, WhatsApp will allow you to send and receive messages using your secondary device. You will also be able to see your previous messages from the secondary device, though the messages that are deleted from your primary device will not be visible on the secondary one. Messages that you delete from your secondary device will also not be visible on your phone. However, this feature doesn’t work with an iPhone.
In the iOS version of the app, you will not be able to delete messages or conversation threads from a linked device. You also cannot link a secondary smartphone or a tablet to the primary device. You can only link your primary smartphone to the laptop. We hope that WhatsApp pushes all the remaining pending features and stable status of it in the coming days.
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