WhatsApp is now rolling out multi-device support for selected users, this is what it will look like

Rumors have it that WhatsApp has been working on supporting multiple devices for some time now and last month WhatsApp Director Will Cathcart confirmed that it will start rolling out to users soon.

Earlier this week, WhatsApp posted a blog post detailing how multi-device support works and the company has now rolled it out to select users. In case you didn’t know, WhatsApp requires users to have an active internet connection in order to use the app on the desktop. However, with the new feature, WhatsApp users will be able to use the app seamlessly across multiple devices without maintaining a constant internet connection. The company notes that it has made changes to allow each companion device to connect to WhatsApp independently.

With this new feature, you can now use WhatsApp on your phone and up to four other non-phone devices simultaneously, even if your phone’s battery is dead. Each companion device will connect to your WhatsApp independently while maintaining the same level of privacy and security thanks to the end-to-end encryption that WhatsApp users have come to expect. Above all, we have developed new technologies to maintain end-to-end encryption while managing to keep your data in sync, such as contact names, chat archives, followed messages, etc., across all devices.

Additionally, the company also noted the following limitations that will apply to support for multiple devices:

• You cannot message / call from web, desktop or portal to users who have outdated version of WhatsApp on their phone
• Performance and quality may be affected
• Other minor issues

Apart from that, the multi-device will currently support up to four additional devices and a phone. This means that you cannot use a WhatsApp account on two separate phones, but you can use it on two separate devices like a desktop computer and a laptop.

We managed to access the new multi-device functionality. Currently due to some reasons the WhatsApp Desktop app is not working because I couldn’t link it to my phone. However, I was able to access WhatsApp web and continue with the cross-device setup. Once setup is complete, you will see a “BETA” tag in the upper left corner, near your profile picture, indicating that you are using a beta version of WhatsApp Web.

On the phone, the setup is similar to what you are currently doing to access WhatsApp Web. The option, however, has been renamed as Linked Devices. Once you have selected the option, you will be able to link your phone to another device and use WhatsApp as you normally do. The difference is, if your phone loses connection, WhatsApp will continue to work.

Currently, cross-device support is available for some WhatsApp Beta users, but the company is expected to roll it out to all beta users soon. Unfortunately, the timing of the public rollout is still unknown. However, in the coming months, WhatsApp plans to roll it out as a membership option for a selected group of users on the stable version.