WhatsApp, one of the most used messaging services in Europe and parts of Asia, is about to close a major flaw. As spotted by the sleuths over on WABetainfo, the company is planning an update that will allow the use of a secondary device — including another phone or tablet. Currently, WhatsApp only allows phone users to link their account via its web or desktop clients.
The new feature is dubbed companion mode. Once it rolls out, you’ll have a workflow that’s quite similar to setting up WhatsApp Web or WhatsApp on the desktop. Rather than entering a number, you’ll be able to scan a QR code with your main phone to log in to your existing WhatsApp account.
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Once this is done, all your chat history will be synced over and you’ll be able to chat with your contacts on both phones. As with WhatsApp Web, companion mode is limited to four devices — with a total of five permitted to be linked to a single account. WhatsApp is still currently testing this feature and has yet to roll it out officially.
WhatsApp supporting multiple devices will bring it on par with other services like Apple’s iMessage, Telegram, and even Meta’s own Messenger service. For people who have to use multiple devices, perhaps for work or travel, this feature will be especially useful.
WhatsApp has also implemented several user-facing features over the past year, including recently expanding the size of group chats to include 1,024 members and a new feature called Communities. Today, the company implemented a feature that would let you message yourself as you can on Slack and Teams.