Everyone is aware of the problem with the world’s most popular messaging application, “WhatsApp,” regarding using the same user account on multiple devices, as the app’s policy does not allow it. According to the official help center, constantly switching between different devices using the same registered number on WhatsApp is one of the actions that can permanently ban your account from the platform. However, using a WhatsApp account on two phones is necessary for most users, which led to the emergence of various ways to work around this issue, before “Meta” introduced today the new WhatsApp update that finally adds an official way to run a WhatsApp number on two phones and up to four additional devices at the same time, let’s explain how from the following lines.
Article updated as of 4/25/2023
Explanation of the method and how it works
Initially, let us remind you that WhatsApp has launched a feature called “Multi-Device” as a way to use your WhatsApp account on up to four devices at the same time without the need to keep your main phone (with the SIM card for the account number) connected to the internet. These devices operate independently instead of syncing conversations with the main phone as was the case before. This feature has been explained in an article previously that you can now use WhatsApp Web without internet on the phone to find out more details.
Also read: 3 ways to use multiple WhatsApp accounts at the same time on your phone
The problem with the “Multi-Device” feature is that the user cannot use it to register for WhatsApp on another phone. Instead, some resorted to a trick involving using the WhatsApp Web site through the browser installed on the other phone to register the account on both phones after scanning the QR code from the site. While this method was effective, it was not practical at all, as the WhatsApp Web site was not optimized for mobile use, and the result was simply not as seamless as using the official app.
Now with the new WhatsApp update, this issue has been resolved, making it possible to use the WhatsApp application installed on the second phone to link it to your account registered on the first phone, just like how WhatsApp Web works. This opens the door to running a WhatsApp account on up to four phones at the same time without any obstacles.
Also read: Can you use WhatsApp with a landline number?
How to use WhatsApp on two phones simultaneously
As usual, this feature was initially introduced in the WhatsApp beta version, where it was tested for a period and analyzed the feedback of users participating in the beta version towards this feature before integrating it into the final version. Officially, this update is now being rolled out to users worldwide and will be available to everyone in the coming weeks. So, if you want to try the feature of running WhatsApp on two phones at the same time, you will need to update the WhatsApp application on your iPhone or Android by checking for updates on the Play Store or App Store.
After installing the latest version of WhatsApp on your second phone and running it for the first time, you usually see a screen to register a new account with your phone number. The new feature here is that you can switch to linking the application to an existing account. To do this, press the menu button ( ⁝ ) at the top and then choose “Link a device” to display the QR code that you need to scan from the main phone.
On your main phone, with the WhatsApp account registered, open the WhatsApp application and click on the More options button represented by the icon ( ⁝ ) in the top left corner, and from the pop-up menu, click on Linked devices, then press the “Link a device” button to guide your phone’s camera towards the code displayed on the other phone’s screen to register your account on the second phone.
After scanning the QR code, WhatsApp on your second phone will start downloading conversations and messages from the account so that you can eventually resume your chats on the second phone normally, while keeping the account registered on the first phone. This way, you can run your account on WhatsApp on two phones and even four phones at the same time, just like when registering your account on WhatsApp Web on the computer.
As always, if you change your mind at any time and want to unregister your account on the other phone, simply go to the Linked devices section in the WhatsApp application on your main phone, then click on the name of the second phone from the list that appears and choose “Log Out” to remove the account from the second phone.
