Whats App users will no longer require their smartphones to be online for using WhatsApp Web

WhatsApp is testing new features every day to enhance the user experience. The latest feature that WhatsApp users will soon get is the ability to link devices without needing the smartphone to be online. In other words, the Android and iOS users will be able to use the multi-device feature on WhatsApp. Earlier, users could link their smartphones to their desktops, but they had to keep their smartphones online. However, WhatsApp will now let users link devices without needing the primary smartphone to be online.

The feature to connect devices without the primary smartphone is in the beta stage. This is an opt-in feature that is labelled as “Beta” in the Linked Devices option in the Settings menu on WhatsApp. If you enable the option, you will be unlinked from all devices. After the fresh linking, you would be able to use it like before. Things will be a little different this time as you would not require your smartphone for the login. You will not have to keep the phone near your laptop and make sure it is online before using WhatsApp Web. The linked devices will be able to receive and send messages up to 14 days if you don’t manually log out.

The feature would be extremely useful in scenarios where you may lose your smartphone but need WhatsApp to stay connected. This would also be helpful when the smartphone runs out of battery, but you are near a linked computer. However, in the iOS version of the app, you will not be able to delete messages or conversation threads from a linked device. You also cannot link a secondary smartphone or a tablet to the primary device. You can only link your primary smartphone to the laptop. However, this is only the case with iOS, Android users can link their devices to secondary smartphones.

On a related note, WhatsApp users can now edit their images on the web as well as the mobile before sending them. Further, WhatsApp is working on a new feature that will offer sticker suggestions to users as they type the message. WhatsApp’s contextual sticker will prompt sticker suggestions to users as they type, enabling them to find that right sticker at the right time to accurately express themselves.

India Today