WhatsApp for Apple iPhone gets companion mode: What is it, how does it work

Announced earlier this year, WhatsApp companion mode allows users to access the same account across multiple devices, primarily phones, without having to logout from the first device

Meta-owned instant messaging platform WhatsApp has started rolling out companion mode for Apple iPhones. The companion mode is available with WhatsApp version 23.10.76 on the app store for iPhone users on iOS 12 or later.

With the companion mode, iPhone users would now be able to link up to four additional devices – similar to how users can link with WhatsApp on web browsers, tablets, and desktops. This new feature will allow users to access the same account across multiple devices, primarily phones, without having to logout from the first device.

The announcement came earlier this year on WhatsApp’s blog, with the company promising that the update will gradually roll out to users globally and “will be available to everyone in the coming weeks”.

To ensure personal messages, media, and calls are secure through end-to-end encryption, each phone would be able to connect to the app independently. Moreover, if the primary device remains inactive for too long, users would be logged out of all the companion devices automatically.

In the same blog, WhatsApp also announced that it would be introducing new, alternative methods to link devices. One method would be through the use of a one-time password (OTP). Currently, users have to scan QR codes to connect companion devices.

According to media reports and interviews, Meta executives have hinted on creating an iPad app to function in a similar way to the WhatsApp desktop for macOS. This, unlike WhatsApp web, does not require the primary device to be nearby in order to send and receive messages.