WhatsApp trick lets you use the same account across MULTIPLE smartphones - ... trends now

Ever since the early days of WhatsApp, users have only been able to use one phone per account – but this is finally changing. 

The chat platform has announced that users can now get their WhatsApp account on up to four additional phones, or five in total. 

WhatsApp users can link four extra 'companion' smartphones by scanning QR codes using their primary phone. 

Users have already been able to connect up to four PCs or tablets to a single WhatsApp account, but until now not any additional phones. 

The 'highly requested' feature will suit those who have a phone for work and a phone for personal use but still want all their chats under a single WhatsApp account. 

The update has started rolling out to users globally and will be available to everyone in the coming weeks, according to WhatsApp. 

Mark Zuckerberg, the head of Meta, which owns WhatsApp, announced the update on his Facebook page on Tuesday. 

'Starting today, you can log into the same WhatsApp account on up to four phones,' he said. 

In reply, one user joked 'that's gonna be a problem for jealous couples', while another said 'I try to log on my boyfriends account, will he know'. 

WhatsApp, first released in 2009, was designed to send the equivalent of text messages but via the internet. 

For this reason, a WhatsApp account has always been closely tied to an individual phone number, although more recently it's become possible to link several non-phone devices to an account too. 

In 2021, WhatsApp started letting users connect up to four additional non-phone devices such as PCs and tablets to their account, independently of a phone.

This means a user has been able to have, for example, their phone, two tablets and two PCs all running the same single WhatsApp account. 

This feature had rolled out globally by 2022, but now WhatsApp is going a step further by introducing the ability to use the same WhatsApp account on multiple phones too. 

While the amount of devices has not increased (one primary phone with up to four companion devices), extra phones can now be included in the mix too. 

WhatsApp has said each linked device will connect to WhatsApp independently, ensuring personal messages, media and calls are all synced.

If the 'primary' smartphone – defined as the one that originally had your WhatsApp account on it – is inactive for a long period, it will automatically log you out of all 'companion' phones.