Illustration: The Verge
If you use two different WhatsApp accounts, you’ll soon be able to access both from just one device. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced Thursday that WhatsApp is rolling out the ability to switch between accounts on Android, and you won’t need to lug around an extra device or continuously log out of your account to be able to do so.
This new feature should make it easier to manage your conversations across multiple accounts, like if you have one WhatsApp account for work and another for messaging friends and family members. It’s rolling out in the coming weeks.
Meta notes that you’ll still need a separate phone number and SIM card (or a phone that accepts multi-SIM or eSIM) if you want to set up a second account. You’ll also need the second phone or its SIM card to receive the one-time passcode that WhatsApp will send via SMS to gain access to your second account on a different device. After this initial verification, the app will continue to work for both accounts without the second device or SIM, says WhatsApp spokesperson Ellie Heatrick.
Meta has been working to make it easier to access your WhatsApp account on different devices, rolling out a multi-device feature in 2021 that lets you use your account across Android tablets, browsers, or computers. Meta recently expanded this feature to include additional smartphones as well, which no longer limits you from using your account on a single phone.
