Any WhatsApp user can tell you that one of their biggest frustrations with the app is the extent it is tied to your phone. Until now, any time you set up a WhatsApp account, even if it’s on a desktop or iPad, you’re essentially still routing everything through your phone, preventing you from operating multiple independent secondary devices.
That’s all changing with WhatsApp’s new public beta. The rollout is limited, but it brings multi-device capability to the table, letting you use WhatsApp on your phone and up to four other non-phone devices at the same time. And the key part — this works even if your phone battery is dead because each device is connected to WhatsApp independently. This allows you to make a video call on one device while still browsing on your phone or checking your messages on a PC.
But the real technical wizardry is how WhatsApp has addressed the security issues that crop up when introducing multiple devices. One of the big selling points of WhatsApp, together with others like Signal and Telegram, is complete end-to-end encryption. Like the other services, WhatsApp previously worked by using a single identity key for all encrypted communications.
Introducing multiple devices complicates that, but WhatsApp has found a clever way to address it by introducing identity keys for each device. A combination of extended security codes and Automatic Device Verification means that devices can automatically establish trust between each other. So the only time you need to compare security codes is if the entire account gets reregistered, rather than just linking a new device to the account.
The image (above) sheds some light on the changes when it comes to message privacy. Each message gets individually encrypted, and messages aren’t stored in the server after they’re delivered. That said, these changes, while welcome, still fall short of Telegram, which lets you use the app on all your devices at the same time and seamlessly sync messages across any number of phones, tablets, and computers.
WhatsApp will just work with up to four non-phone devices, but it’s still a big step up in addressing one of people’s biggest complaints about the app. This feature will be tested with a small group of users from WhatsApp’s existing beta program for the time being, before rolling out to everyone else more slowly.
Are you tired of paying for streaming services you never watch just to get a phone plan feature you actually want? T-Mobile has good news for you! The carrier is rolling out new plans, called T-Mix, in early November to replace its old Experience lineup with a build-your-own perks system called Picks.
The benefits you choose vary from streaming and gaming to food delivery, AI, satellite service, and phone discounts. But if you are satisfied with your existing plan, you can keep it.
Merely days after the iPhone Duo hit the shelves, images of broken screens on the phone started popping up across social media. Until now, it’s been unclear what’s causing the line of defective pixels that appears vertically along the crease, as well as horizontally, on the phone’s inner display.
Apple has finally acknowledged the issue, which has shown up on iPhone Duo units owned by customers as well as demo units in stores. In a statement shared with Bloomberg, Apple says that not all iPhone Duo units are affected and that those that are tend to show the display fault early on. The company added that users who experience problems with their iPhone Duo display should contact AppleCare for a replacement.
Not long ago, Apple treated independent repair like an act of outright hostility. The Cupertino giant locked down parts with serial-number pairing, while repair tools remained firmly out of reach of anyone outside its authorized repair network. More importantly, the company waged a legal and lobbying battle against right-to-repair legislation.
I've covered enough of these fights over the years to know what a shift looks like. That's why what happened in October 2026 genuinely caught me off guard. The day the iPhone Duo went on sale, what may be the most mechanically complex iPhone to date, Apple pulled off a surprising about-face. It published teardown-style repair manuals for a handful of major components.