WhatsApp is starting to deploy its new multi-device mode, allowing you to communicate with loved ones by connecting to other devices simultaneously without having to maintain an active connection with your smartphone. Here's how it works and the steps to activate it on your device.

A multi-device mode has been in the cards for WhatsApp for quite a while. The company then officially confirmed it last month, saying it would allow up to four additional devices to be linked to an account, without having to go through the user's phone to relay communications.

This new feature started rolling out gradually last week as part of a beta and is now rolling out to more and more users. We were able to test this new multi-device mode, the details of which we will share with you.

WhatsApp without your phone

It was already possible to access your WhatsApp conversations from a browser or the web version. However, this mode required a constant connection with the smartphone, which acted as a relay and was responsible for encrypting/decrypting the messages.

The old multi-device architecture, requiring a connection to the smartphone // Source: WhatsApp

The new multi-device mode allows you to chat with loved ones, without the smartphone being connected. It thus allows Web, macOS, Windows and Portal versions of the application to obtain an identification key, thus giving them the possibility of encrypting and decrypting messages locally, as explained below. Messages therefore no longer pass through the user's smartphone, but directly between the secondary device and the recipient.

The new multi-device architecture, working without connection to the smartphone // Source: WhatsApp

It therefore becomes possible to continue to write and call each other using the Desktop, Web or Portal version of WhatsApp, even when the phone is offline or has no battery. Unfortunately, this mode won't work on other phones, at least for now.

How to join the beta

Now that you know the advantages of this new mode, here's how to benefit from it before everyone else. First, you need to register for the WhatsApp beta program on the Play Store. Once you've signed up, make sure to update your app, then go to the WhatsApp menu at the top right and select "Connected Devices".

The multi-device beta mode should then appear. Click on it to activate it and, after reading the limitations of this new feature, validate by pressing "Join the beta". Your devices will be instantly unpaired and you can then link a new device as you normally do, i.e. by scanning a QR code. The device will then synchronize and obtain its own encryption key and will then work independently of your smartphone, whether to exchange messages or calls.

Use: what changes and what stays the same

The interface remains the same on your computer, with the difference that a "BETA" mention is now present on the left of the window. Similarly, the main screen indicates that you are using the new multi-device mode. However, your shortcuts and settings remain the same. It is also possible to make audio and video calls, as on the classic version.

The main difference is that your computer communicates directly with your recipient's device and does not require a connection to your smartphone. Not only can you continue to chat with your loved ones if you run out of battery, but you also receive messages instantly on your computer and save a little more battery on your smartphone.

Despite this change, messages and calls remain fully end-to-end encrypted. Each device receiving its own key, the mode remains limited to four devices in addition to your smartphone. You should also use the latter at least once every two weeks, in order to guarantee the security of your account.

A few issues that need to be fixed

Using an application in beta involves encountering some problems. Indeed, some regressions are to be expected compared to previous Web and Desktop versions. Thus, it is currently impossible to pin a conversation on your computer, or even to access those that you have already pinned from your mobile.

Similarly, live location sharing no longer works, since it is only shared with your phone and not the various devices linked to your account.

Besides, the history of conversations transferred to your computer is only two years old. While that's enough for the average person, you may have to dig up your phone to find older conversations.

Finally, if you delete an entire conversation on your smartphone, it will not be erased from other devices and you will have to repeat the operation manually. This is all the more surprising since deleting a message in a conversation (even by selecting the “for me” option) is passed on from one device to another.

Other, more minor limitations are also to be expected. For example, it is not possible to communicate with users using a very old version of WhatsApp. Similarly, calls will not go through on the Desktop, Web, or Portal version of a user not using the new multi-device mode.

Although these limitations are not very inconvenient, it is still possible to leave the beta at any time to return to the classic multi-device mode, which requires a permanent connection with your smartphone. That said, the majority of these bugs should be fixed by the time the feature rolls out globally.

Moreover, some are simply due to incompatibility between the old and new versions of multi-device mode and will no longer be necessary once all users have switched to the new protocol.

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