Messenger WhatsApp still lacks support for use on multiple devices. WhatsApp can be used on the desktop, but the smartphone has to be online. A public beta of multi-device support is planned within the next two months, as WhatsApp CEO Will Cathcart confirms.
In the interview (conducted on WhatsApp) by the Messenger specialist site WABetaInfo, WhatsApp CEO Will Cathcart and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg have commented on the new functions of the messenger. A feature that is always wanted is the multi-device support, which, according to countless rumors, will soon be finally offered
Public Beta within two months
Specifically, WhatsApp wants to offer a public beta of the new feature within the next two months, said Cathcart. It was explicitly confirmed that WhatsApp could then be used on multiple devices without the main device with the stored phone number, e.g. the smartphone, having to be online. This restriction currently applies to the use of WhatsApp on the desktop, for example. With multi-device support, WhatsApp can be used on the desktop, tablet and other devices without an active smartphone, including the synchronization of chats.
Zuckerberg said that the technical implementation was a major hurdle to ensure that messages and other content are correctly synchronized across all devices, even if, for example, the battery of the smartphone is empty. However, these problems have been resolved and the implementation will be available soon. The messenger's end-to-end encryption is also maintained, according to Zuckerberg. This has been solved “elegantly” and it will be the best implementation on the market.
Recipients are only allowed to view media once
WhatsApp is also planning two further innovations in the area of privacy. The function of self-deleting messages, which can currently be activated for individual chats with a duration of seven days for messages, is to be added as a global option so that this setting applies to all chats without having to set it anew for each chat. In addition, WhatsApp is planning a function for photos and videos so that this content can only be viewed once by the recipient and is then automatically removed from the conversation.