WhatsApp, which is owned by Meta, has recently introduced a highly requested feature that allows users to log into the same account on up to four phones, as announced by chief executive Mark Zuckerberg on April 25th.
This update fulfills a long-standing demand from users for increased flexibility in accessing their accounts across multiple devices.
Building upon WhatsApp’s multi-device functionality introduced last year, the new feature now enables users to access their accounts on up to four phones, as well as across various other platforms including web browsers, tablets, and desktops.
According to WhatsApp, the rollout of this new feature has already begun, and it will be progressively made available to users worldwide in the upcoming weeks.
With this new feature, users will be able to seamlessly switch between phones without needing to sign out, allowing them to pick up their chats right where they left off, as stated by the company.
This will also benefit small businesses, as it will enable additional employees to directly respond to customers using the same WhatsApp business account on their respective phones.
WhatsApp has clarified that each linked phone will establish independent connections to the messaging application, ensuring that personal messages, media, and calls are all end-to-end encrypted.
Additionally, WhatsApp has implemented a security measure where users will be logged out of all companion devices if the primary device remains inactive for a period of 14 days, as stated by the company.
WhatsApp has announced that in the near future, they will be introducing a simpler method for users to link their companion devices.
Instead of scanning the QR code on the web application, users will be able to enter their phone number on WhatsApp Web to receive a one-time code, which they can use to link their devices, as mentioned by the company.
Earlier this month, WhatsApp unveiled a series of new features aimed at enhancing its security measures.
These additions included automated security codes, device verification, and additional checks when transferring accounts to a different device, as stated by the messaging application.
As an additional security measure, WhatsApp’s new feature called Account Protect will prompt users on their old device to verify whether they intend to move their account to a new device whenever such action is initiated.
This extra security check is designed to alert users of any unauthorized attempts to transfer their account to another device, as mentioned by the messaging application.
In the previous month, WhatsApp introduced two new features aimed at enhancing the functionality of groups.
These features include improved visibility of common groups among users and increased administrative control over group membership, as stated by the messaging application.
Over the recent months, WhatsApp has implemented several updates, including expanding group size limits and granting administrators the capability to delete messages within the groups they manage, as mentioned by the messaging application.
In February 2023, the world’s largest messaging application further enhanced its ephemeral status feature, which enables users to share text, photos, and videos that automatically disappear after 24 hours, as mentioned by WhatsApp.
