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| WhatsApp is testing sync across devices that don't require mobile phones |
WhatsApp is preparing to improve the instant messaging service on Facebook, which has realized an important feature that has been in great demand by users for years.
The platform said it is conducting limited public beta testing of its improvements across multiple devices.
The update enables new users of the platform to use the service on up to four non-mobile devices without having to unlock a registered mobile phone or otherwise connect to the Internet.
This set of multiple devices cannot contain any other mobile phone. Each supported device is independently connected to WhatsApp.
WhatsApp is used by more than 2 billion people around the world and has support for using multiple devices.
Users can access the service at the same time, for example from a web browser or desktop application on a PC. However, this multi-device support currently requires a cellular internet connection.
Forcing the phone to do all its operations will slow down the companion device and often disconnect, especially when the phone is not connected properly, the battery is dead, or the app is stuck due to the system running. In addition, only one companion device can be turned on at a time, which means, for example, that users at the portal cannot make calls while their messages are viewed on their PC.
WhatsApp's new multi-device architecture removes these barriers. They no longer require smartphones as the primary source while ensuring seamless and secure synchronization of user data and privacy.
WhatsApp explained how this feature works in a white paper to understand why it is taking so long.
WhatsApp is testing support for multi-device development
The company said it has developed new technology to ensure messages are also synced between multiple devices while maintaining end-to-end encryption, a rare feat on the market today.
“We had to rethink the architecture of WhatsApp and design a new system to enable an independent experience on multiple devices,” the company wrote. While maintaining complete privacy and encryption. Each message is encrypted individually using the double encryption session defined by each device. Once the message is delivered, it is not stored on the servers.
This feature does not change the way WhatsApp uses cloud backups for users. The mechanism we use to sync messages and other app data across users' devices is independent of cloud backup.
The platform does not intend to make this functionality available to all users on any given date. Instead, he clarified that he will initially roll out this feature for existing beta users.
In the next few months, there are plans to add it as a beta subscription feature on the stable version of the app for a small number of users as well.