Good news: WhatsApp will soon also work on the iPad. The big question is: when will this happen? Furthermore, the chat app will soon add two features, including “self-destructing” messages.
WhatsApp will soon work on iPad (and 2 more new functions)
WABetaInfo is a website that regularly informs you about new features for WhatsApp. The website thoroughly scans test versions of the chat app and is the first to know what the innovations will be.
The founder of the site today announced that he had an interview with the CEO of WhatsApp – Will Cathcart – and Mark Zuckerberg, the big boss of parent company Facebook.
In this interview, which was of course via WhatsApp, the two bosses announced several new features for WhatsApp. These features are coming to the chat app’s public test version “in the coming months.” It is not yet known when the innovations will roll out for all WhatsApp users.
1. WhatsApp for iPad “coming”
The most important announcement is without a doubt that WhatsApp is working on an iPad version. You can use the chat app on four devices at the same time, with messages, photos, videos and other content synced in the background.
The company is cautiously announcing the new feature. The ‘Multi device’ technology, as it is officially called, will become the basis for WhatsApp on the iPad. Once this technique works properly, the chat app will come to the Apple tablet (and other devices) completely on its own.
It is now also possible to use WhatsApp on multiple devices – such as WhatsApp Web – but then the internet connection of your phone is used. Your iPhone shares the connection with the computer.
Multi device will roll out to test users of WhatsApp in the next two months. Whether you can add WhatsApp directly to your iPad is therefore still a question. It is certain that it is being worked on.
Also read: Tip: this is how you use WhatsApp Web on your iPad
2. Disappearing Photos and Videos
Also new: disappearing messages. You will soon be able to turn on this function for (group) conversations in WhatsApp. Once participants have viewed your video or photo once, it will disappear from the chat.
This is fine for sensitive information. The disappearing function is of course not completely watertight: you can still take a screenshot and forward it.
3. Let WhatsApp clean itself up
WhatsApp will also introduce ‘Disappearing mode’ in the near future. If you turn this on, all your WhatsApp messages (including text, photo, video and GIFs) will be deleted within seven days of receipt.
This way you no longer keep a log. Again, you can still take screenshots of messages, or copy and forward them, for example.
Want to participate in the test version of WhatsApp?
Before WhatsApp rolls out new features to everyone, they are extensively tested by a group of enthusiastic users. You can do this sign up via TestFlight, Apple’s program to participate in test versions of apps.
Please note, because the beta of WhatsApp is almost always full. So you usually have to wait until a spot becomes available, if this is the case at all.
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