While WhatsApp has become one of the most popular messaging apps in the world, there is one thing about it that some find incredibly annoying. Users can only use their account on one device at a time, but it looks like that could change soon.
This was discovered by WABetaInfo while they were digging around in the latest WhatsApp beta.
The beta testing revealed that if someone switched to another device the encryption key would change and a notification would be sent in-app.
You can see an example on WABetaInfo’s Twitter account:
Testing ????
When someone adds a new device in his WhatsApp account, you will be notified because encryption keys change.Available in future for iOS and Android! pic.twitter.com/WqrM6cRHWW
— WABetaInfo (@WABetaInfo) March 24, 2020
This is good news for anyone who likes to switch between two mobile devices (a phone to a tablet, for example) and still have a seamless experience. Having to either set up WhatsApp again or carry around two devices can be annoying.
And from a deeply niche perspective, it’s great for anyone who swaps phones a lot. No, not criminals – phone reviewers.
Of course, it’s worth keeping in mind that part of appeal of WhatsApp being restricted to one device at a time probably had something to do with security. WhatsApp utilises end-to-end encryption, so not even the company can access the messages between two people, even if the police or a government agency asked.
WhatsApp will probably want to continue being as secure as possible, even with more devices in the mix. We’re looking forward to seeing how the company handles this.
The latest beta also reveals that WhatsApp may also be introducing a form of self-destructing messages soon. They will be called ‘Expiring Messages’ and if they’re enabled for a specific chat a little clock will appear as an overlay on the chat icon.
[referenced url=”https://gizmodo.com.au/2020/02/whatsapp-security-update-no-longer-working-iphone-android/” thumb=”https://gizmodo.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/whatsapp-410×231.jpg” title=”WhatsApp No Longer Works On Older iPhones And Android Devices” excerpt=”WhatsApp has blocked millions of phones from accessing its messaging service with its latest update, in an effort to protect the security and privacy of its users. The app is no longer compatible with phones still running outdated operating systems. Here’s what you need to know.”]
[WABetaInfo ]