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WhatsApp Web function: can now be used with more devices
Photo: WhatsApp
WhatsApp is rolling out a so-called multi-device beta these days.
This means the option of being able to use WhatsApp on the smartphone and at the same time on up to four other devices.
At the start, the multi-device beta is only available for users whose main device for WhatsApp is an Android or iOS device.
The latest version of the app must also be installed on that device, otherwise the feature cannot be found.
The ability to use WhatsApp on an additional device such as a Windows computer has been around for a long time. The WhatsApp Desktop program helps to connect to Windows computers, WhatsApp enables the messenger to be used via an Internet browser. So far, a maximum of one device could be connected to the smartphone app at the same time. In addition, WhatsApp had to be permanently connected to the Internet via the main device.
These restrictions no longer apply.
The additional WhatsApp access must be activated as before via QR code via the smartphone app (via the menu items add linked devices / add device).
After that, WhatsApp can continue to be used on the additional devices even if the main device is offline.
According to WhatsApp, the link will not be disconnected until the main device has not been used for 14 days.
Not everything is running smoothly yet
If you want to test the multi-device beta, you have to make an active decision by tapping a button in the "Linked devices" menu, as WhatsApp explains on a help page here.
In its explanation of the new function, the subsidiary of Facebook (recently Meta) emphasizes that it is a beta test - not the final version of the function.
The company therefore warns that the "performance and quality" of WhatsApp could be affected by the use of the multi-device beta.
"Other minor problems" are also possible.
If the main device is an iPhone, for example, chats cannot be deleted on paired devices.
Likewise, according to WhatsApp, beta users cannot send messages to others who have installed a "very old" version of the messenger.
The multi-device beta does not support tablets either.
We tried out the function briefly on Monday morning on our own test devices.
Among other things, it was possible to use WhatsApp Web to connect the latest version of the WhatsApp app, which ran on an Android device in the test, to a Windows computer and an iPhone at the same time.
You can also opt out of the beta again
The iPhone on which WhatsApp Web was used in Chrome was incorrectly classified as a macOS device in WhatsApp's device list.
As promised, it was possible to send and receive messages from all devices, even if the Android smartphone was switched off.
The synchronization of the content also worked as promised.
If you decide to try out the beta version, you can also revise it: You can end the beta at any time via the same menu that you use to start the beta.
According to WhatsApp, all communication content is also protected as usual on the additional devices: chats, media and calls will continue to be end-to-end encrypted, the company promises.
