WhatsApp ties down users to a single active account on one device, even if they can choose to use the popular messaging platform on different devices. To access a secondary account tied to a different phone number, users have to log out from their primary account on the same device. That is about to change. The Meta owned instant messenger announced Thursday that it will allow users to have two active WhatsApp accounts logged in at the same time on Android devices. WhatsApp users can switch between the two accounts seamlessly, without having to log out.
In a blog post, WhatsApp said that to set up two accounts, users would need a second phone number and SIM card, or a phone that supports multi-SIM or eSIM. Users can then head to WhatsApp settings, tap on the arrow next to their name, and click “Add account.” Using their secondary phone number, they can then set up a second WhatsApp account on the app.
It’s also worth noting that users can adjust privacy and notifications settings separately on each account. For example, you could mute notifications on your personal account and allow them for your work account, or vice versa. Messages sent and received on both accounts will also, of course, be end-to-end encrypted.
The multi-account feature would let users easily switch between work and personal accounts on WhatsApp and would also eliminate the need to carry two phones to do so. On its blog, WhatsApp also cautioned users to only use the official WhatsApp app on the Google Play Store and not download imitating apps. The company has not yet confirmed the feature on iOS devices.
WhatsApp has been having a busy week, rolling out a bunch of new updates and features for users. Recently, the app was also reported to be testing a ‘view once’ mode toggle for voice messages, just like the one present for sending photos and videos on the app.
Earlier this week, the app also rolled out support for passkeys on Android. The feature lets Android users log back into their WhatsApp account securely using biometric authentication on their phones or their device PIN.