It will soon be possible to have two WhatsApp accounts on one phone, thanks to an update now rolling out to the encrypted chat app.
There is, however, a catch – which is likely to mean some people will have to continue using an unofficial and somewhat clunky workaround …
WhatsApp used to be very strict about how you could use your account. You could only use it on one device at a time, and you could only have one account on one device. This was frustrating for many people who wanted to use WhatsApp on multiple devices, such as their phone and tablet.
However, WhatsApp has recently been relaxing these rules. In May 2023, iPhone users got the ability to use one WhatsApp account across multiple phones. This means that you can now use the same WhatsApp account on your phone and tablet, and you can even switch between them without having to log in and out.
Users will be able to receive and send WhatsApp messages using multiple devices, something you can already do with other platforms like Telegram and iMessage. Companion Mode works with up to four different devices. Those with the feature enabled will find it in the WhatsApp account setup, which will show a “link this device to an existing account” button.
The web wrapper you had to use on Mac was replaced by a native Mac app in August, and a beta version of an iPad app followed a month later.
Two WhatsApp accounts on one phone
This new feature will be a welcome addition for users who have two different phone numbers for personal and professional use, or who want to use WhatsApp on a work phone and a personal phone.
Today, we’re introducing the ability to have two WhatsApp accounts logged in at the same time. Helpful for switching between accounts – such as your work and personal – now you no longer need to log out each time, carry two phones or worry about messaging from the wrong place.
There is a catch, however – you will need to have both SIMs active on the phone.
To set up a second account, you will need a second phone number and SIM card, or a phone that accepts multi-SIM or eSIM. Simply open your WhatsApp settings, click on the arrow next to your name, and click “Add account”. You can control your privacy and notification settings on each account.
It typically takes some time for new WhatsApp features to roll out across all devices, so look out for it in the coming days and weeks.
Some will still need to use clunky workaround
If you don’t want to have both SIMs on the same phone, however, you won’t be able to take advantage of the new feature.
In that case, you’ll need to continue using the same clunky workaround used by many: use the main WhatsApp app for one account, and the WA Business app (an official app intended for business use) for the other.
