Using WhatsApp on your iPad: it’s possible and this is how you do it

It doesn’t matter how many competitors you face, but WhatsApp simply remains the biggest. The popular application ensures that more than a billion people worldwide can stay in touch with each other. You would hardly believe that there is no iPad app for the service yet.

Unfortunately, that is the reality we have to live with. Fortunately, there is a way how we can use WhatsApp on Apple’s popular tablets. This article explains how exactly you do that.

Using WhatsApp on your iPad

It’s a shame that WhatsApp doesn’t have an official iPad app yet at the time of writing. You could almost say it’s bizarre given the number of active users. Doesn’t matter, because the service is in any case better to use on the iPad than it was before.

Thanks to a functionality called Multi-Device, it is possible to use WhatsApp on multiple devices at the same time. This is of course already possible, for example on your computer, but only when your smartphone is switched on. Thanks to the addition of Multi-Device, this is no longer necessary and you can really use the service separately on another device.

The functionality is currently still in beta, but can already be used by consumers in the Netherlands and Belgium. And that’s exactly how you can make WhatsApp work on your iPad.

How exactly do you do it?

To use WhatsApp on your iPad you need three things: WhatsApp, a smartphone and an iPad. Of course, make sure you have an active WhatsApp account installed on the phone. Then follow the following steps on that smartphone:

1. Open whatsapp
2. Go to Settings -> Paired Devices
3. Continue pressing Multi-device beta and select Participate in beta
4. Go back to the previous window and select Pair a device

Now it’s the turn of the iPad. Grab your tablet, open Safari (or any other browser) and go to web.whatsapp.com to link your account. Scan the QR code that appears and the connection is successful.

WhatsApp: Safari and privacy

Good, it is now possible to use WhatsApp on your iPad. Thanks to Multi-Device, you don’t need a smartphone with a working internet connection. Fine, but you are stuck in your browser. That may not be very useful, but in that regard it is Safari a good option for iPadOS. The software makes it possible to place a tab as a shortcut on the home screen. This way you can always access your conversations as if it were an app.

It is also good to know that you are protected in the same way on your iPad as you are on your iPhone. The messages you send and receive are therefore provided with end-to-end encryption.

Are there any restrictions?

In principle, WhatsApp now works exactly the same on your iPad as it does on your iPhone. Although it is good to take into account a number of limitations. First, it is good to take into account the fact that you may not be able to (video) call all your contacts. When you use WhatsApp Web (and you use it on the iPad), it is not possible to call people with an outdated version.

The link via Multi-Device can also affect the user experience. Because a beta version is used, the application is not yet optimized. The quality and performance of WhatsApp may therefore deviate from the normal experience.

It is also good to know that you have to check in with your iPhone once every fourteen days to maintain the connection. If you don’t, your iPad will be logged out automatically.