The popular instant messenger WhatsApp was developed with smartphones in mind. However, over the years, the app has become available for computers, too – with a brand new version for macOS released last month. Now WhatsApp is finally coming to the iPad, allowing users to access their messages on any Apple device.
WhatsApp now has a beta iPad app
As reported by WABetaInfo, the latest version of WhatsApp Beta available on Apple’s TestFlight is compatible with iPadOS. Previously, iPad users had to use the web version, as there was no iPadOS app, and the iPhone version wasn’t compatible with Apple’s tablet.
9to5Mac has confirmed that WhatsApp Beta now works on the iPad with a similar approach to the Mac app. Once you install and open the app, it asks you to use WhatsApp on your phone to scan a QR Code. After that, the app downloads all your conversations, and you can send and receive messages across your iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
The iPad app works even when the iPhone is not nearby or not connected to the same Wi-Fi network, also similar to the new macOS app. The interface takes advantage of the iPad’s larger screen to show more content in columns. The first hints that WhatsApp was working on an iPad app emerged on the web in 2021.
However, as you may have noticed, the iPad version (just like the desktop version) is only a companion app. This means that you can’t create a new WhatsApp account from it. Even so, having an iPad app to access your phone’s messages is already good news for WhatsApp users.
Availability
Unfortunately, it’s still unclear when WhatsApp for iPad will be available to the public. The beta version is only available through TestFlight, and getting access to it is quite difficult because the slots are very limited. Hopefully, it won’t be long before it hits the App Store. (The Mac version took almost a year to be released, however.)
In the meantime, you can download the current version of WhatsApp for iPhone for free on the App Store.
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