WhatsApp multi-device support to be limited to one phone per account

Damien Wilde | Jun 22 2021 - 2:50 am PT

There is no doubt that the upcoming multi-device support for WhatsApp is highly anticipated, but according to some new findings, the initial release might be limited to just one phone per account.

WhatsApp oracle WABetaInfo has found evidence suggesting that our dreams of proper multi-device support for the messaging app might need to be toned down a little. Multi-device support will initially be limited to WhatsApp Web, WhatsApp Desktop, and the Facebook Portal smart display. That is incredibly frustrating if you, like us, hoped that you’d be able to run your WhatsApp account across an iPhone and Android phone simultaneously — or multiple Android smartphones.

Given just how massive WhatsApp is across the globe, this feels like a massive oversight and hopefully won’t be a long-term limiting factor. WABetaInfo shared a screenshot that appears to confirm some other information on how multi-device support will work on your WhatsApp account. The feature will be limited to four devices plus one smartphone, all of which will need to be linked and with the most up-to-date build of the cross-platform messaging app to ensure it works correctly.

The great news is that you will no longer need to stay connected to the internet on your device to continue using WhatsApp Web, desktop, or via the Portal smart display. Given just how your phone can hibernate and disconnect from the companion apps, this is a big addition and just uses any active Wi-Fi from your other devices to send and receive messages and media.

It’s likely that we have still quite a wait before the multi-device support comes to a future beta build of WhatsApp messenger, but even with some of the limitations noted above it will be a welcome option. Let’s just hope that it evolves further, as with a smartphone limit, it feels like an expansion of the relay feature that exists already.