WhatsApp is testing a new feature that will let people message without using their phone for the first time as it announced to roll out a limited public beta test for its updated multi-device capability.
The announcement made by the Facebook-owned app said that people have been asking them to create a true multi-device experience that allows people to use WhatsApp on other devices without requiring a smartphone connection.
VERY EXCITED TO BE LAUNCHING A BETA OF OUR NEW MULTI-DEVICE CAPABILITY FOR @WHATSAPP. NOW YOU CAN USE OUR DESKTOP OR WEB EXPERIENCES EVEN WHEN YOUR PHONE ISN’T ACTIVE AND CONNECTED TO THE INTERNET. ALL SECURED WITH END-TO-END ENCRYPTION.
LEARN MORE: HTTPS://T.CO/ANFU4QH6HD
— WILL CATHCART (@WCATHCART) JULY 14, 2021
While announcing the new feature, it said that with this new capability, the users can now use WhatsApp on their phone and up to four other non-phone devices simultaneously — even if their phone battery is dead.
Each companion device will connect to their WhatsApp independently while maintaining the same level of privacy and security through end-to-end encryption that people who use WhatsApp have come to expect.
The Facebook-owned messaging app further announced that new technologies besides maintaining end-to-end encryption will still manage to sync data — such as contact names, chat archives, starred messages, and more — across devices.
Several other messaging apps already have such a feature, including rival encrypted app Signal, which requires a phone for sign-up, but not to exchange messages.