WhatsApp's Multidevice Feature Could Teach Apple's iMessage Some New Tricks – CNET

WhatsApp’s new multidevice features are rolling out to public release. James Martin/CNET Your phone doesn’t need to be working to access texts on WhatsApps. Thanks to the web and desktop app’s new Linked Devices feature, previously in beta and rolling out to the public over the next several months, you can get faster access to chats from nearly any computer or tablet you choose, while preserving much of the encryption and security that the app is known for. WhatsApps newest feature creates a cross-platform texting experience that reminds me of using iMessage across Mac and an iPhone — but without the requirement of being stuck on just Apple’s devices.WhatsApp’s desktop apps are not new, to be clear. However, they previously required a constant connection with your phone in order to function. If your phone powered off or was temporarily lost, you essentially couldn’t access your texts at all. Other Meta-owned services like Messenger don’t have this limitation, but at the cost to your privacy of not having end-to-end encryption on by default.WhatsApp now lets you pick as many as four devices aside from your phone that can send and receive WhatsApp messages. You set up these devices by scanning a…
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