WhatsApp’s new multi-device capability has started rolling out to iPhone users. Several MyBroadband staff members running WhatsApp on their iPhones and computers confirmed they could use both WhatsApp for Desktop and WhatsApp Web without having their phones actively connected to the Internet.
That was after an update to the apps on Friday morning. It should be noted that none of the users had signed up for the multi-device beta, which provides early access to the capability. At the time of publication, WhatsApp had not yet issued any official communication or posted updates to its website that multi-device had exited beta on iOS and was now officially available.
MyBroadband asked the company for comment, but we did not immediately receive feedback to our questions. The capability might currently be limited to only certain users, regions, and devices, as WhatsApp typically rolls out updates gradually introduce new features to its broader customer base.
For the time being, it seems WhatsApp users on Android will still have to sign up for the multi-device beta, which was launched shortly after WhatsApp announced the new feature.
While WhatsApp has been offering several apps for non-phone devices for some time, its legacy architecture requires a smartphone to be linked with an active Internet connection. The phone acts as the “source of truth” for all user data, meaning the app effectively only mirror the phone’s content.
That means they cannot function when the phone is turned off or loses Internet connectivity, The new standalone multi-device architecture removes the need for the smartphone app to act as the central hub to use WhatsApp.
That means users will be able to use WhatsApp on up to four other linked non-phone devices at any time, even while the phone is switched off. To achieve this, WhatsApp had to rework the architecture to ensure that messages would remain end-to-end encrypted.
Before the multi-device support, everyone on WhatsApp was identified by a single identity key from which all encrypted communication keys were derived. With multi-device, each device now has its own identity key.
“The WhatsApp server maintains a mapping between each person’s account and all their device identities,” WhatsApp explained. When someone wants to send a message, they get their device list keys from the server.”
“Each message is individually encrypted using the established pairwise encryption session with each device. Messages are not stored on the server after they are delivered,” it added. This will ensure that WhatsApp maintains the “same level of privacy and security” through end-to-end encryption.
Source: mybroadband
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