WhatsApp users who have more than one smartphone are about to be treated to a much better way of messaging. The Meta-owned chat app has just announced the release of a blockbuster upgrade which finally allows multiple phones to use one account.
That means those with a work device and a personal phone in their pockets will finally be able to send and receive chats from one single account. Until now, that's not been possible and it's long been a huge frustration for fans of the popular service.
"A feature highly requested by users, now you can link your phone as one of up to four additional devices," WhatsApp confirmed in a post on its blog.
The platform has also stressed that the same level of privacy will be enabled when using different phones with everything staying end-to-end encrypted.
"Each linked phone connects to WhatsApp independently, ensuring that your personal messages, media, and calls are end-to-end encrypted, and if your primary device is inactive for a long period, we automatically log you out of all companion devices," the company added.
WhatsApp says that the new upgrade has started rolling out to users globally and will be available to everyone in the coming weeks. There's no word on who is getting it first but hopefully, it will arrive in the UK soon.
Along with using multiple phones, WhatsApp has also confirmed another update that is rolling out over the coming weeks. The company says that it is introducing an alternative and more accessible way to link to companion devices. That means, from today, users can simply enter their phone number on WhatsApp Web to receive a one-time code, which can then be used on their phone to enable device linking. That's instead of needing to scan a QR code.
