WhatsApp multi-device features: Linking brings advantages, but users will face issues

The biggest advantage of true WhatsApp multi-device support is the ability to use and access your WhatsApp messages on your other devices, even when your primary device (your phone) is completely offline. — Photo by bruce mars on Unsplash

WhatsApp multi-device beta test: Two big changes are coming to WhatsApp, the world's most popular encrypted messenger service — the ability to encrypt cloud backups to iCloud and Google Drive, and multi-device support.

The first WhatsApp feature will allow users' chats to be securely backed up to the cloud, while the latter will allow users to use WhatsApp on multiple devices, including WhatsApp Desktop, WhatsApp Web, and on a Portal device. We recently reported that WhatsApp was rolling out the multi-device beta testing for the upcoming feature to iOS users on the stable (non-beta) channel.

While the Facebook-owned company still has to iron out bugs and issues with the WhatsApp multi-device support before it is rolled out to users, the arrival of the beta testing for regular users is an indicator that the feature is inching closer to a proper release. Users who set up multi-device support can connect up to four other computers using WhatsApp Desktop, WhatsApp Web, and Portal. However, they will not be able to log on to WhatsApp from another phone.