WhatsApp will let you sign into two accounts at once... but there's a catch
Life is about to get a little easier for WhatsApp users with more than one account. Many people have a work phone and a personal device, each associated with a different WhatsApp account. There are also plenty of users with two phone numbers for other reasons.
Simplifying living with more than one account, WhatsApp is introducing the ability to log into two accounts simultaneously. This eliminates the need to keep logging in and out, or having to carry two phones around to stay connected. So what's the catch?
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The fact that a WhatsApp account is tied to a phone number is not changing. What this means is that while it may no longer be necessary to have two phones on your person, you'll need to have either a dual-SIM handset or one that supports eSIM.
WhatsApp shared the news in a blog post, saying:
Today, we're introducing the ability to have two WhatsApp accounts logged in at the same time. Helpful for switching between accounts -- such as your work and personal -- now you no longer need to log out each time, carry two phones or worry about messaging from the wrong place. To set up a second account, you will need a second phone number and SIM card, or a phone that accepts multi-SIM or eSIM.
Adding a second account is a simple matter of opening up settings, clicking the arrow next to your name, and the clicking "Add account". WhatsApp points out that it is possible to control your privacy and notification settings on each account.
The announcement was also shared by Mark Zuckerburg in addition to the news from the WhatsApp development team. The CEO of Meta used his Facebook profile to share news of the upcoming feature. Zuckerberg wrote a very brief, simple post saying: "Switch between two accounts on WhatsApp -- Soon you'll be able to have two WhatsApp accounts on one phone within the app".