WhatsApp has started rolling out expected multi-device support to a large number of users on Android and iOS, letting them use their accounts on secondary devices without having to connect their phones to the internet. Users can take advantage of this new feature to connect to WhatsApp on up to four devices simultaneously to send and receive messages on the app even when their phone is not connected to the internet. This update is helpful if you access WhatsApp on a desktop or Mac.
After a series of internal tests, WhatsApp launched multi-device support in July, allowing users to connect their instant messaging accounts to secondary devices such as PCs, laptops or Facebook Portal. In particular, it enables end-to-end encryption of chats using assistive devices. This means that neither WhatsApp nor third parties can read the messages you send or receive on your connected PC.
By providing standalone support, WhatsApp enables users to send and receive messages on their assistive devices even when they are not near their phones. This feature also helps you stay connected to WhatsApp if your phone runs out of battery.
How to link your WhatsApp account to a secondary device
Before you start following the steps below, it’s 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. This feature is currently in “beta” stage, so it may temporarily cause some stability issues. Furthermore, it is limited to WhatsApp Web, Desktop, and Portal. This means that WhatsApp has not yet enabled support for linking an Android phone or iPhone as a secondary device. Currently you can’t connect your WhatsApp account to an Android tablet or iPad using multi-device support.
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Join the multi-device beta via WhatsApp and set up > link device > Multi-device beta.
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When finished, return to the linked devices screen and tap link device button to link new devices.
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Now, you need to scan the QR code on your secondary device to associate it with your WhatsApp account.
Once linked, WhatsApp will allow you to send and receive messages using your secondary device. You can also view previous messages on the secondary device, but messages deleted from the primary device will not be visible on the secondary device. Messages you delete from your secondary device will also not be visible on your phone. This feature doesn’t work on iPhone, though.
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