WhatsApp now rolling out Companion Mode for iPhone users

by techlowdown · 30 May 2023

WhatsApp announced earlier this year that it would finally let users log into the same account on multiple smartphones, as the platform has never allowed this except by offering the Web version that works only on desktop devices. After making the feature available for Android users, WhatsApp’s new Companion Mode is now being rolled out to iPhone users as well.

WhatsApp Companion for iPhone

The release notes for the latest WhatsApp update in the App Store clearly specify that users “can now use WhatsApp on multiple phones.” However, as noted by WABetaInfo, the feature is gradually being made available, so you may not be able to activate it even after installing the latest available update.

Right now, the latest version of WhatsApp available on the App Store for iPhone is 23.10.76. I tried to enable Companion Mode on my iPhone with WhatsApp Beta (23.11.0), but I had no luck. Still, the feature should be available to most users in the next few days.

Once available, 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.

Under the hood, WhatsApp has also been working on an iPad app that will work pretty much the same way as the new WhatsApp Desktop for macOS, which doesn’t require having your primary phone nearby to receive and send messages. However, it’s uncertain when WhatsApp will release its iPad app. Some Meta executives have already shown an interest in launching an iPad version of WhatsApp.