WhatsApp has been testing a feature for several months to enable users to connect their accounts to secondary devices. It enables users to send and receive messages without the primary smartphone online. Now, the company is officially rolling out this feature to all WhatsApp users in the most recent update of WhatsApp on both Android and iOS versions. Users previously needed their smartphone connected to the internet before they start the conversation on their linked web browser. You need to opt into the feature labeling the ‘Beta’ after enabling this feature on your smartphone and you’ll be unlinked from all devices before re-linking to a new device. It behaves much similarly and you will be able to chat whether your main smartphone is online or not. However, messages and calls are still end-to-end encrypted.

Your linked devices will be able to receive and send messages up to 14 days after the main smartphone goes offline. This feature will be more useful if you’re in a situation where you’ve temporarily lost your smartphone connection and needed to stay in touch with friends and family through WhatsApp, or if your smartphone runs out of battery but you’re near a linked computer. Point to be noted that there is a limitation on iOS that doesn’t allow you to delete messages or conversation threads from a linked device. The other limitation is that you still can’t link a tablet or secondary smartphone. WhatsApp’s multi-device capability is available to both Android and iOS users. However, on the same account, only four devices can be connected to the messaging app at the same time.

In July, the messaging platform announced that the long-awaited functionality would be available to all handsets with the most recent stable version. The option can be turned on under the app’s “Linked Devices” section. It may be found by pressing the three dots symbol in the app’s top right corner. Follow these steps to use WhatsApp on a phone that isn’t connected to the internet. Simply launch the WhatsApp application and tap the three-dotted icon in the top right corner of the screen. From the “Linked Devices” menu, choose “Link a Device”. The app will ask you to scan a QR code from web.whatsapp.com. Because the feature is still in testing, you may need to select “Join Multi-Device Beta” if it appears for you. Then scan the QR code and you’re ready to go. If the main smartphone is not connected to the internet, the other connected devices will be able to receive and send messages for up to 14 days.