WhatsApp recently introduced Companion mode for Android users, enabling them to connect up to five Android phones to a single account. Now, iOS users can finally enjoy this feature too.
The latest WhatsApp version (23.10.76) for iOS includes this feature, and it can be downloaded from the App Store. Similar to the Android experience, the iOS version of the messaging app seamlessly synchronizes your chat history, ensuring that all your messages reach all of your connected devices, just like WhatsApp Web and Desktop.
As always, WhatsApp guarantees end-to-end encryption for all conversations, even on linked devices. However, certain features such as messaging broadcast lists and status updates are limited to the “main” device.
Furthermore, the updated version now automatically plays GIFs in chats without requiring users to tap on the message.
An upcoming feature on WhatsApp for businesses on Android is the Status archive, which was discovered in a beta version of the software. This functionality enables business owners to archive specific account statuses and conveniently reuse them when necessary in the future.
WhatsApp will also allow screen sharing during calls, just like Discord, Skype, Google Meet, and many other rival apps. The app will also introduce dedicated usernames like Twitter soon, so you won’t have to share your phone number to add someone, which should help with privacy.