WhatsApp rolling out new feature allowing users to receive messages without phones

WhatsApp is testing a new feature that will let people message without using their phone for the first time as it announced to roll out a limited public beta test for its updated multi-device capability.

The announcement made by the Facebook-owned app said that people have been asking them to create a true multi-device experience that allows people to use WhatsApp on other devices without requiring a smartphone connection.

Very excited to be launching a beta of our new multi-device capability for @WhatsApp. Now you can use our desktop or web experiences even when your phone isn’t active and connected to the internet. All secured with end-to-end encryption.

Learn more: https://t.co/AnFu4Qh6Hd

— Will Cathcart (@wcathcart) July 14, 2021

While announcing the new feature, it said that with this new capability, the users can now use WhatsApp on their phone and up to four other non-phone devices simultaneously — even if their phone battery is dead.

Each companion device will connect to their WhatsApp independently while maintaining the same level of privacy and security through end-to-end encryption that people who use WhatsApp have come to expect.

The Facebook-owned messaging app further announced that new technologies besides maintaining end-to-end encryption will still manage to sync data — such as contact names, chat archives, starred messages, and more — across devices.

Several other messaging apps already have such a feature, including rival encrypted app Signal, which requires a phone for sign-up, but not to exchange messages.