John Ndlovu
Information and Technology Reporter
Meta has eased restrictions on the use on the messaging application WhatsApp with users able to access their account on four separate devices.
The revelations were made by Meta Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg on his Facebook handle on Tuesday.
“Starting today, you can log into the same WhatsApp account on to four phones.” Zuckerberg said.
WhatsApp login refers to the process of accessing the social media messaging application account by entering a cellphone number and a verification code sent to the user via their SMS or phone call
The move has been available although it only allowed users to access WhatsApp from browsers, computers or Android tablets, the new move has been widened to smartphones were an individual will be able to log into multiple phones with one WhatsApp account concurrently.
However, Zuckerberg, did not give much more details on the new development.
Initially, users could not log in the same account on more than one device.
According to WhatsApp blog, users can link their account on up to four additional devices, the same as when you link account with WhatsApp web, tablets and desktops.
The blog said that the feature was highly requested by users.
“Each linked phone connects to WhatsApp independently, ensuring that your personal messages, media and calls are end-to-end encrypted. If your primary device is inactive for a long period, we automatically log you out of all companion devices,” the statement on WhatsApp Blog read.
This new move has it’s own advantages and disadvantages.
It is convenient as it allows people to access their WhatsApp account from multiple devices without having to log in or log out.
If one loses their device or breaks it they can still access chat history on other devices.
But as explained on the Blog, when the user is logged off on the primary device, other devices will be automatically switched off by WhatsApp.