Initially, WhatsApp’s desktop and web apps required an active internet connection on the primary phone to work as expected. The Facebook-owned company fixed the glaring limitation by introducing a linked devices feature. It allows users to use WhatsApp on multiple devices without requiring an internet connection on their primary smartphone.
WhatsApp has steadily improved the multi-device feature since its launch, allowing you to use WhatsApp on premium and affordable Android tablets. If you haven’t tried this feature, here’s how to set up and use WhatsApp on multiple devices.
Using WhatsApp on linked devices: What you need to know
WhatsApp’s support for multiple devices supports end-to-end encryption. However, this means that the implementation has some limitations. WhatsApp supports five linked devices, including your primary phone. Since your WhatsApp account can only be linked to one phone number, you cannot link the service to multiple phones.
The latest WhatsApp add-on makes staying in touch with friends and family easier, as your phone does not need to be online to send messages from your desktop or the browser. However, you will be logged out automatically from all devices if the primary phone does not come online at least once every 14 days. You need your phone to register your WhatsApp account and link new devices.
The multi-device feature works flawlessly on desktops and is currently in beta on Android tablets. If you use an iPad, you can use the WhatsApp Web client to access your chats on your tablet. You can check our guide on how to use WhatsApp on tablets to find out more.
Also, certain WhatsApp features can only be used on your smartphone:
- Messaging or calling someone who uses an older version of WhatsApp on their phone.
- Viewing live location on linked devices.
- Creating and viewing broadcast lists on linked devices.
- Sending messages with link previews from WhatsApp Web.
How to link a device to your WhatsApp account
WhatsApp offers native Windows and Mac apps. We show you how to connect WhatsApp for Android or iOS to the desktop app in the screenshots below.
WhatsApp for Android
- Open the Google Play Store and make sure the latest version of WhatsApp is installed on your phone.
- Launch WhatsApp.
- Tap the three-dot menu button in the upper-right corner, and then tap Linked devices.
- Select the Link a Device option.
- Verify your identity using your fingerprint or the device pattern/pin unlock.
- Give WhatsApp access to your phone’s camera if you have not done so.
- Open WhatsApp Web on your PC or use the desktop app.
- Scan the QR code shown on the page using your phone.
You can use WhatsApp web on the linked device even if your phone loses internet connectivity.
WhatsApp for iOS
- Launch the App Store and update WhatsApp to the latest version on your iPhone.
- Open WhatsApp.
- Move to the Settings tab in the lower-right corner.
- Open Linked Devices.
- Select Link a Device.
- Authenticate your identity with Face ID or fingerprint.
- Open web.whatsapp.com or the WhatsApp desktop app.
- Scan the QR code and enjoy WhatsApp with a convenience of a big screen.
- Once you link several devices with your main WhatsApp account, you can check the list of devices with platform names, dates, and last syncing time from the same menu.
How to unlink a device from your WhatsApp account
Did you link your WhatsApp account to your friend’s laptop for a brief period? Once you complete the work, log out from the connected device. The process to unlink a device from your WhatsApp account is relatively simple. Follow these steps on Android and iPhone.
Unlink a device using WhatsApp for Android
- Open the Linked Devices menu on WhatsApp for Android (check the steps above).
- The devices linked to your WhatsApp account appear here.
- Tap any device name to unlink it.
- Confirm your selection by selecting Log out from the dialog box that appears.
Unlink a device using WhatsApp for iOS
- Head to the Linked Devices menu in WhatsApp for iOS (refer to the steps above).
- Select a linked device and tap Log Out from the following menu.
You can re-link any removed device again without any issues.
How does the linked devices feature work on WhatsApp?
When you link a desktop, WhatsApp web, or Android tablet to your main WhatsApp account from Android or iOS, your phone sends an end-to-end encrypted copy of the recent message history to the linked device. WhatsApp stores the chat locally on the desktop. It may take several minutes to complete the syncing process. The estimated time is based on the number of messages in your chat.
However, WhatsApp won’t sync all your messages and chats to the linked device. You need to use WhatsApp on your phone to see or search your entire chat history.
Link WhatsApp to all your daily drivers
If you are a heavy WhatsApp user and receive many unwanted media files and forwards, delete old WhatsApp media from your phone to free up storage. If removing those extra media files doesn’t add some pep to your phone, check out our favorite tips to speed up your phone.
