WhatsApp’s wider rollout of companion modeearlier this yearmeant that more users could link their account with up to four devices even if their primary phone didn’t have access to the internet. Unfortunately, the companion orlinked devicein this scenario cannot perform certain functions on its own, such as posting status updates. But WhatsApp could be working on fixing that, according to a new beta version of the app for Android.
The recently rolled out WhatsApp beta for Android version2.24.1.4(viaWABetaInfo) allows individuals to share status updates from a paired or companion device. Posting a status on a secondary phone works exactly like it would on your main device, requiring you to navigate to theStatustab and tap the pencil/camera FAB on the bottom right of the screen or access it via theMy statussection on top. Users will find all the standard photo editing tools that are usually available, along with the ability to post status updates in voice, text, video/image, or GIF form.
WABetaInfo says status updates on linked devices may not be widely available just yet. However, it should make an appearance to a wider group of beta testers in the days and weeks ahead. I couldn’t access it on my paired device either, despite being on version 2.24.1.4 of the Android beta.
We’ve extensively covered WhatsApp’s implementation of linked devices, although it wasn’t withoutsome critical issues. In its current form, trying to post a status from a linked device returns an error, as shown below. Moreover, users are also unable to edit or delete a Status from their secondary phone, which we suspect would change with this newly added functionality.
It’s been a busy last few weeks for WhatsApp, as the Meta-owned app continues to improve existing features while adding new ones along the way. Screen sharing falls into the latter category and was first spotted testing back in May this year, becoming more widely available in August. A beta release this week revealed support forboth video and audio during screen sharing, taking WhatsApp one step further to becoming a propervideo chat applike Zoom or Google Meet.
In the meantime, WhatsApp developers are also working on letting userslink their Instagram accounts. A recent beta release went a step further and revealed the presence of a newShare statusbannerin theUpdatestab, plus icons for sharing the status on Instagram as well as Facebook. To be clear, WhatsApp already allows cross-posting of status updates to Facebook, while support for auto-posting arrivedearlier this year. With Instagram being the only holdout so far, it’s not particularly surprising that Meta is looking for ways to bridge that gap as well.
