WhatsApp Web tests authentication without smartphone on computer

WhatsApp Web is beta testing smartphone-less authentication on a computer. Until then it was only possible to use WhatsApp on other devices when your smartphone is connected and nearby. With this new system it becomes possible to open up to four concurrent WhatsApp sessions to enjoy it permanently on all your devices. A novelty requested for years by users.

You know the song: every time you connect a computer to WhatsApp, the app asks you to scan a QR Code from the smartphone app. You can then converse normally with your friends, share photos and videos.

But beware : if your smartphone is off, or too far away, access to the service is cut off on the computer. That is why, out of the more than 2 billion WhatsApp users, many are those who regularly request that WhatsApp completely review the authentication on its web and PC version.

WhatsApp will soon allow up to 4 devices to be connected simultaneously without a smartphone

If it does not seem, at first glance, essential to allow WhatsApp users to stay connected from their computer even if their smartphone is too far away or runs out of battery, we all ran into these situations in which a little more ubiquity could have saved our day.

For example, if you just lost your smartphone and you hoped to be able to contact your loved ones anyway through the computer. We also note that most social networks and messaging applications allow simultaneous use on several devices whether or not your smartphone is connected to the Internet.

Gold, it looks like things are moving. Users report having spotted a test for a new authentication method that no longer relies on the presence of the smartphone and that allowsuse WhatsApp on multiple devices simultaneously. We can read in particular “Smartphone connection is no longer required to use WhatsApp Web, Desktop and Portal. Up to 4 devices can be used simultaneously ”.

Also read: WhatsApp goes backwards – you will be able to use it even if you refuse the new rules

For now, we do not yet know if or when this feature will be deployed to the general public. Nevertheless, given the strong expectation around such a possibility it seems likely that we will learn more in the coming weeks.