Setting up a secondary device for your WhatsApp account is a breeze now.
WhatsApp is one of the biggest and best messaging apps out there, with billions of daily active users. It’s gotten better over the years with a bunch of new features, but what I like the most about WhatsApp is that it now lets you use the same account on two phones simultaneously, thanks to its companion mode. It’s a fairly simple process to set up and use the same account on two different Android phones using WhatsApp’s companion mode. Let’s take a look.
What you need to know about WhatsApp companion mode
For a long time, you could only use your WhatsApp account on one device at a time. However, the company started testing the companion mode last year and started rolling it out to Android beta users in April. Later, iOS users received the functionality. Now, you can use this relatively new feature on Android, iOS, iPadOS, macOS, Windows, and WhatsApp Web, and you can use a single account for up to five devices. You can even use it across operating systems and platforms. All your chats, contacts, and groups will be automatically synchronized across all the linked devices.
This feature is essentially an extension of the multi-device experience that’s been available for a few years now. It was limited to linking your account on web browsers, tablets, and desktops, but you can now link another phone to your WhatsApp account too. Each linked phone connects to WhatsApp independently, meaning the account on your secondary device will work regardless of whether you have your primary phone around or not. Both WhatsApp instances are also individually encrypted, ensuring that your chat, media, and calls are completely safe. Notably, this feature also works with WhatsApp Business accounts, so you can have up to four employees log in to your business account on their phones and respond to customers.
How to use the same WhatsApp account on two Android phones
Before we begin, you’ll want to ensure that you’re running the latest version of WhatsApp Messenger on both your primary and secondary phone. You can download it using the link below:
- Open WhatsApp Messenger on your secondary phone.
- Select your preferred language and tap the Agree and continue button.
- Tap the three-dot icon and select Link to existing account to reveal a QR code.
- Open WhatsApp Messenger on your primary phone with an active account and tap the three-dot icon.
- Select Linked devices and hit the link a device button.
- Now scan the QR code displayed on your secondary phone to link them.
And that’s how easy it is to link two Android phones using WhatsApp’s companion mode and use the same account. Both WhatsApp instances, as mentioned earlier, can work independently and are end-to-end encrypted, meaning you can use your account on the secondary device as long as it’s connected to the internet. WhatsApp’s companion mode works well for the most part, but there are some limitations that you must be aware of before using it.
Limitations of using the same WhatsApp account on two phones
The first — and most important — thing to note is that you can’t leave your primary device unattended for a long period. Doing so will automatically log you out of all companion devices, so I suggest keeping it around and using it whenever you can. Your secondary phone is meant to be used just as a “companion” device, after all, so you can’t abandon the account on your primary device entirely. You won’t be able to broadcast messages or use the payment feature on companion devices either, but the rest of the features will work just fine.
The companion mode was rolled out to iPhone users with WhatsApp for iOS 23.10.76 version, so be sure to give it a try. Additionally, iPhone users can also use two different accounts on a single device, and the steps for that are highlighted in our dual WhatsApp setup guide.