WhatsApp has a killer feature on the way

WhatsApp has a killer feature on the way

While WhatsApp has many attractive features, it is not without areas that need improvement. For example, one phone number cannot be used on multiple devices at the same time.

Now, there is good news for those who use multiple phones. Good news for those for whom the option to mute people forever is not enough.

This information comes from WABetaInfo, which is looking around at beta versions of WhatsApp. While multi-device support is not yet available, there are signs that it is getting closer, including a menu showing how the feature works.

It appears that a future version of WhatsApp will allow users to link their account to other devices and see which device currently has a WhatsApp session open. This is similar to the current WhatsApp web interface, but suggests that users will be able to access their accounts from outside of a web browser.

This feature is not currently working and we do not know how it will work. We hope to be able to access our WhatsApp accounts on our new mobile devices.

In that case, multi-device access would require that the phone be turned on and connected to the Internet. Still, it would be better than having to activate your account every time you need to use a different phone and losing access to your original phone in the process.

We expect it to be truly multi-device capable, like we get with other messaging services. Essentially, it's a free login and logout option that could greatly enhance the WhatsApp desktop experience.

WhatsApp has already introduced video and voice calling in its web app, but it would be even better if it were not dependent on smartphones. True multi-device support would eliminate the need to scan QR codes to log in and be properly independent.

Of course, this comes with its own problems. Messages would have to be stored somewhere in the cloud, not on the user's device, which raises issues related to privacy and operational costs. Also, the higher WhatsApp's operating costs, the more likely Facebook is to monetize it more aggressively than ever.

Multi-device support is not yet available, but if you want to try it out as soon as it is ready, you will need to join the WhatsApp beta program; Android users will need to go to the WhatsApp beta page on Google Play and register; Apple users will need to go to the Testflight page and wait for a free slot to become available.

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