After releasing the companion mode to all beta testers on WhatsApp beta for Android, WhatsApp is now rolling out this feature to everyone that install the latest stable version of WhatsApp from the Google Play Store!
| Common questions | Answers |
|---|---|
| Name of the feature? | Companion mode |
| Status? | Rolling out |
| Compatibility? | WhatsApp beta for Android 2.23.8.76 and newer versions of the app are marked as compatible updates. |
| I’ve installed this update but I don’t have this feature. Why? | This feature has been released to everyone. Be sure to install the latest version of the app to get this feature. It may take some time for the feature to be available to everyone. |
| Previous news? | WhatsApp beta for Android 2.23.9.14: what’s new? WhatsApp is releasing a feature that allows users to lock chats! |
COMPANION MODE
A few hours ago, WhatsApp announced in a new blog post that the ability to use the same account on multiple phones is now available, a highly requested feature that makes messaging easier for users. This update is an improvement on the multi-device feature introduced last year, which enabled users to message across all their devices while maintaining the same level of privacy and security. As announced on this website, this feature was released to all beta testers a few weeks ago and it is now available to everyone on the most recent update of the app:
Users can link their phone as one of up to four additional devices, just like when linking with WhatsApp on web browsers and desktop apps. Each linked phone connects to WhatsApp independently, ensuring that personal messages, media, and calls are end-to-end encrypted. In addition, if the primary device is inactive for a long period, users will be automatically logged out of all companion devices as a security measure.
Note that this feature is limited to WhatsApp for Android at the moment and, as mentioned in our previous article, you need to follow these steps to link your device to an additional phone:
- On your secondary Android mobile phone, download the latest update of WhatsApp Messenger or WhatsApp Business from the Google Play Store.
- Tap the overflow menu within the registration screen and you should finally see the option “Link a device”.
- Open WhatsApp on your primary device, tap Settings > Linked devices.
- Point this device to your secondary mobile phone to capture the QR Code.
When you link your WhatsApp account to a new mobile phone, your chat history will be synced across all your linked devices. Although the companion mode has been released to everyone, some features may still not be available, such as the ability to manage broadcast lists and post a status update from the linked device.
Linking phones as companion devices makes switching between devices easier, allowing users to pick up their chats where they left off. As explained in the official blog post, this feature is especially useful for small business owners, as additional employees can now respond to customers directly from their phones under the same WhatsApp Business account.
In the official blog post, WhatsApp also mentions that a new alternative and more accessible way to link to companion devices will be introduced over the coming weeks. Users will be able to enter their phone number on WhatsApp Web to receive a one-time code, which they can use on their phone to enable device linking, instead of scanning a QR code.
The companion is available for all users that install the latest version of WhatsApp Messenger and WhatsApp Business, and it has started rolling out to users globally over the coming weeks.
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