Currently, a WhatsApp account can only be used on one smartphone at a time. But that could change very soon, as testers of the current beta have found out.
From time to time, the meta group, which also owns WhatsApp as well as Facebook and Instagram, adds new functionality to its chat app. Now it seems like that’s that time again, because an innovation featured in the current test version wasn’t there before.
Accordingly, WhatsApp developers are currently working on a method by which a WhatsApp account can be used effectively on two smartphones. This is not possible yet: a WhatsApp account can only be linked to one device and used for chatting.
Connect by scanning the QR code
Experienced testers have discovered the new functionality in the latest beta version of the app. Since the corresponding menu item appears there in the program’s source code – but this is not yet integrated into the application and is available as a controllable menu item in the interface.
Apparently, linking the account to another smartphone works the same way as in the desktop versions of WhatsApp. Here, users need to open the app on their main device and then scan the QR code on the screen of the new device. Then the account is simply linked to the new device.
WhatsApp only added new options for your status in the beta version in mid-April. So you can now set who can see your private status. Until now, this could only be hidden for all contacts or not, and now it can also be turned off for individual contacts. Beta users can find the functionality in the WhatsApp settings under the menu item “Account” > “Privacy”.
There is no specific launch date for the new dual account usage feature yet. However, since the option is already included in the beta version, it should be rolled out relatively soon.
