WhatsApp for iPad leaked in beta
WhatsApp was already working on making the app available on multiple devices. When this became known, Will Cathcart (head of WhatsApp at Facebook) did not yet confirm whether they were also actively working on making WhatsApp suitable for the iPad. Mark Zuckerberg hinted that the app is indeed coming, but he also declined to mention a timeline. In the beta now available, hints have now been found that it is coming.
WhatsApp now runs on multi-device 2.0 and users can set up an iPad as a new paired device. You can pair up to four devices and a smartphone. Earlier, a spokesperson said that people will be able to use WhatsApp in the future without having to connect a phone. “Multi-device means that users have the same functionality that you now have on the current public versions of WhatsApp Web, Desktop and Portal, but without having to connect a phone.” The experience will also improve for people who use Desktop/Web and Portal and you can use even more different devices in the future.
So you will remain reachable via WhatsApp, even if the iPhone is not around or has a dead battery. WABetaInfo expects the iPad version in a future update. It will be a native app that works independently of your iPhone. So you no longer need a browser. The conversations are synced between the iPhone and iPad.
In April 2019 we already wrote about an upcoming iPad version of WhatsApp, but that required a different phone number. In the end, this did not lead to the solution that many people have been waiting for: a true native app.
Beta version WhatsApp for iPad is coming
Users of the TestFlight beta can use it try first. There is already a mention in the beta, but you can not download the separate iPad app yet. If you find the latest version 2.21.170.12 in TestFlight, it has not yet been adapted for iPadOS. There are, however, minor innovations, such as newly designed contact information for business contacts. The iPadOS version of the app will be automatically available to beta testers when it comes out.
WhatsApp has even more features in store: for example, a function was recently announced to exchange chat history between iOS and Android devices. And an improved group chat feature was also introduced in July.