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WhatsApp multi-device support is not necessarily what it sounds like

WhatsApp will not support multiple smartphones being linked to the same account simultaneously. (Image source: Dimitri Karastelev)
WhatsApp will not support multiple smartphones being linked to the same account simultaneously. (Image source: Dimitri Karastelev)
A new WhatsApp Beta has fleshed out what multi-device support means for the popular messaging app. WhatsApp will soon support up to five devices simultaneously, but not multiple smartphones.

Last month, the latest WhatsApp Beta hinted that chats could soon be synced across multiple devices. However, multiple devices may not mean multiple smartphones, for some reason. Instead, new findings by WABetaInfo suggest that WhatsApp has a limited interpretation of what multiple devices mean.

Apparently, the latest beta build contains a section labelled 'Multi-Device Beta' that explains what syncing across multiple devices means for WhatsApp. As the screenshot below shows, 'Multi-Device Beta' allows you to stay online across WhatsApp on your smartphone, the web app, the desktop app and Facebook Portal. Multiple devices extend to your smartphone and up to four additional devices, too.

However, you cannot message or call people if they have an outdated version of WhatsApp installed on their smartphone. It is unclear what WhatsApp means by outdated, but it could mean if they also do not have multiple devices enabled. Worse still, 'Multi-Device Beta' does not support multiple smartphones. Hence, WhatsApp will still be tied to one smartphone. In our opinion, multiple device support will only do away with the WhatsApp web or desktop loading screens. Ultimately, WhatsApp's multiple device support appears to be a half-baked effort.

(Image source: WABetaInfo)

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > News > News Archive > Newsarchive 2021 06 > WhatsApp multi-device support is not necessarily what it sounds like
Alex Alderson, 2021-06-23 (Update: 2021-06-23)