WhatsApp is developing a Linked Devices feature which will allow one to use multiple WhatsApp numbers on the same device.
In brief
This feature will provide support for multiple WhatsApp accounts on the same phone, be it Android or iOS.
Instead of having to install WhatsApp separately on each device, users can access and switch between their various accounts using a single app on their main device.
It is under development so it is not ready to be released to beta testers.
Availability
The company has started testing the feature on Android for now.
The support is available for WhatsApp Business beta version 2.23.13.5.
Even though the testing is being done on the Business app, WhatsApp is likely to extend the support to the regular WhatsApp Messenger as well.
Utility
It should help those who have been wanting to use dual SIMs on one phone but couldn’t because of WhatsApp’s limitations.
It will help users manage their personal conversations, work-related discussions, and other social interactions within a single app.
This separation ensures that users can maintain privacy, efficiently manage notifications, and switch between different accounts without the need of using parallel apps.
How it works
The feature works from a menu that will allow users to select which account they want to log into.
When a user sets up an additional account for the first time, it will be stored on their device until they decide to log out of the account, so they can always switch to it when they want.
eSIM models
It is uncertain whether the multi-account setup will be restricted to phones with physical SIM slots or be compatible with the eSIM models as well.
If it is the latter, thenWhatsApp can be expected to offer this feature for iOS devices and the premium Android phones with eSIM support.
