WhatsApp has become one of the most popular messaging apps in the world, with over 2 billion active users. One of the great things about WhatsApp is that you can use it across multiple devices, linking your account so you can seamlessly message from your phone, tablet, laptop, or desktop. However, WhatsApp only allows you to be actively logged in on one phone at a time. If you want to use WhatsApp on a secondary phone, you need to link your account in a different way. There are a few different apps you can use to link WhatsApp across multiple phones.
Official WhatsApp Web/Desktop App
The official way to use WhatsApp on multiple devices is to link your account to WhatsApp Web/Desktop. This allows you to mirror your WhatsApp messages and conversations on another phone, tablet or computer through WhatsApp’s desktop platform. Here’s how it works:
First, open WhatsApp on your primary device which already has your WhatsApp account set up. Tap the 3 dot menu in the top right and choose “Linked Devices”. Then, tap “Link a Device”. Your phone will display a QR code.
On your secondary device, open the WhatsApp web browser app or desktop app and scan the QR code displayed on your primary device. This will link your accounts so that your secondary device now mirrors the messages and conversations from your main device.
The advantage of using official WhatsApp Web/Desktop is that it’s secure and syncs messages seamlessly across devices. However, you can only be logged in on one phone at a time, so this option only works if your secondary device is a computer or tablet. You won’t be able to use WhatsApp independently on a second phone.
Dual Apps – Clone WhatsApp on Android
If you want to be able to use WhatsApp separately on two different Android phones, you’ll need a dual apps or parallel apps feature. Many Android device manufacturers include a native dual apps feature in their Android skin, such as Samsung, Xiaomi, Huawei, Oppo and others. This allows you to clone or run dual versions of apps on the same phone.
Here’s how dual apps work for linking WhatsApp:
1. Go to your phone Settings and look for a “Dual Apps”, “App Twin”, “Clone Apps” or “Parallel Apps” option. This may be under Advanced Features or Utilities.
2. Enable the Dual Apps feature if prompted.
3. Open the Dual Apps menu and select WhatsApp from the list of apps. Confirm that you want to clone WhatsApp.
4. Your phone will create a second copy of WhatsApp with a badge or indicator that it’s the dual app.
5. Open the dual WhatsApp app and set up your account normally by verifying your number.
Now you will have two separate WhatsApp apps on your Android phone, each with different accounts so you can use WhatsApp on two numbers. Messages will not sync between the two clones. The limitation is that both numbers need to be supported on the same phone through dual SIM.
Parallel Space App
If your Android device doesn’t have a native dual apps feature, you can use a third party app like Parallel Space to clone WhatsApp. Here’s how it works:
1. Download and install the Parallel Space app from the Google Play Store.
2. Open Parallel Space and grant it any required permissions.
3. Tap the “+” button to add an app to clone. Select WhatsApp.
4. Parallel Space will create a cloned version of WhatsApp. Open it and set up your second WhatsApp account.
5. You now have two separate WhatsApp apps through Parallel Space.
The advantage of using an app like Parallel Space is that it can clone WhatsApp even if your device doesn’t have a built-in dual apps feature. However, the cloning may not be as seamless and stable compared to using a native dual apps option. But it does allow you to use two WhatsApp accounts on one phone.
GBWhatsApp and Similar Mods
Third party WhatsApp mods like GBWhatsApp and WhatsApp Plus also essentially allow you to dual app WhatsApp on one Android device. Here’s how they work:
1. Download and install the GBWhatsApp APK instead of the official WhatsApp app from the Play Store.
2. Open GBWhatsApp and set up your first WhatsApp account.
3. Now download and install the official WhatsApp from the Play Store. Set up your second WhatsApp account.
4. You’ll now have two different WhatsApp apps with different accounts running independently on your device.
The advantage of using a mod over Parallel Space is that the modded apps like GBWhatsApp often have additional features and customization options. However, using unofficial app mods does violate WhatsApp’s terms of service and comes with some security risks. Use mods at your own discretion.
Link WhatsApp on iPhone with Dual SIM
On iPhone, you can use dual WhatsApp by taking advantage of dual SIM support. Here’s how it works:
1. Make sure you have an iPhone model that supports dual physical SIM cards (iPhone XS/XR and above). Older iPhones only support one physical SIM.
2. Insert your two SIM cards into the iPhone. Go to Settings > Cellular and enable both SIMs.
3. Download WhatsApp and set up your first account using one SIM.
4. Go to the App Store and download WhatsApp again. When prompted, select to download a second version of WhatsApp.
5. Open the second WhatsApp and set up your account using your second SIM.
Now your iPhone will have two separate WhatsApp apps linked to each SIM card. You can run and use them independently.
The limitation is that this only works if you have a dual SIM iPhone model. On single SIM iPhones, there is no native way to dual app WhatsApp. Jailbreaking opens up some options but comes with risks.
Use Business WhatsApp on iPhone
If you have an iPhone with a single SIM slot, another option to dual WhatsApp is to use WhatsApp Business. Here’s how:
1. Download the WhatsApp Business app from the App Store. It is separate from the regular WhatsApp app.
2. Open WhatsApp Business and set up an account using your phone number.
3. Then open the regular WhatsApp app and set up your account normally with the same number.
4. You now have two WhatsApp apps on your iPhone using the same number – WhatsApp and WhatsApp Business.
This allows you to use different WhatsApp accounts for personal and business use on the same iPhone. However, there are some limitations to WhatsApp Business compared to the regular WhatsApp app. But it does provide an alternative way to dual WhatsApp on single SIM iPhones.
Use a Secondary Number through Apps
Another option for getting a second WhatsApp number on your iPhone or Android phone is to use a secondary number provided through a mobile app. For example:
– **TextNow -** Provides free secondary virtual numbers to use for calling and texting. You can sign up for a TextNow number and use it to verify a second WhatsApp account on your device.
– **Google Voice** – Provides free virtual phone numbers to use as secondary numbers. Link your Google Voice number to WhatsApp.
– **Sideline** – Paid app that provides additional phone numbers to use for personal and business purposes. Works for verifying second WhatsApp accounts.
The advantage of using these apps is that you don’t need dual SIM support to get a second number. However, some may find virtual numbers less convenient than having real phone numbers through SIM cards. But these apps do make it easy to dual WhatsApp on a single SIM device.
Use a Tablet or Secondary Phone with WhatsApp Web
If you have an additional tablet or secondary phone available, you can also link your WhatsApp account to it using WhatsApp Web/Desktop as outlined earlier. Here are the steps again:
1. On your main phone, open WhatsApp and go to Linked Devices > Link a Device.
2. Scan the QR code shown on your main phone from the WhatsApp app on your secondary device.
3. This will link your account and mirror WhatsApp to the second device.
While not a true dual app setup since your WhatsApp messages will sync across devices, this does allow you to have WhatsApp open and accessible on a separate tablet or secondary phone while retaining it on your main smartphone as well. The secondary device can be used for convenience even if you can’t run two true separate WhatsApp instances.
Conclusion
Having two WhatsApp accounts on one phone can be very useful for keeping work and personal communication separate. On Android, native dual apps features or third party apps provide the best dual WhatsApp support. For iPhone, dual SIM and WhatsApp Business are the main options. You can also use WhatsApp Web or secondary numbers through other apps to link to a second device. With the right setup, dual WhatsApp provides added flexibility and utility to use the messaging platform across multiple numbers and devices.