WhatsApp will be multi-device and cross-platform, according to a new settings screen found in WhatsApp's beta version This is great news, but we may have to wait a while before it becomes available

WABetaInfo, a site dedicated to mining information from beta versions of the world's most popular messaging app, discovered these new features (via Forbes)In a tweet, WABetaInfo suggested that two to six months before the app appears in stable form suggesting that it could take

Technically, WhatsApp is available on desktops as well as cell phones However, since the PC/Mac version acts as an extension of the cell phone that registered WhatsApp, it will not function when the phone is offline, limiting its usefulness

The existence of this true multi-device mode is revealed by the addition of a new screen in the settings menu of the beta version of WhatsApp for Android called "Login with a new device" This screen recommends connecting to Wi-Fi to log in This is likely due to the large amount of data that will be transferred as chat history is copied from the first device to the second to facilitate seamless exchange between the two apps and possibly use cloud backups

There is also a "Linked Devices" screen, which is like an evolution of the existing WhatsApp Web/Desktop settings, showing the PC or Mac to which the app is connected However, this change makes it more clear that PCs are not the only devices that can be configured for this setting, raising hopes that WhatsApp, which has been tweaking its basic app, will finally support the iPad

WhatsApp recently made several major updates, including revamping security and contact QR codes and doubling the user limit for group video calls from four to eight This was in light of the increased need for messaging apps due to the nationwide shutdown caused by the Coronavirus pandemic, and to fend off strong competitors such as iMessage, Signal, and Facebook-owned services such as Messenger and Instagram This is a good thing