Overview
- WhatsApp began rolling out an iPad primary-device setup this week that lets some users register an iPad directly and use it as their account’s main device.
- The company is also testing a new Android tablet setup screen in beta that asks users to choose between making the tablet primary or linking it as a companion device.
- When a tablet is set as the primary device it gains phone-level features such as live location sharing and access to broadcast lists and is not subject to the previous 14-day companion logout rule.
- iPad setups now support passkey authentication to skip the six-digit code when a user has a passkey, and switching primary status to a tablet automatically signs out the prior primary device.
- The rollout is gradual and companion mode remains available for users who prefer to keep a phone as the primary device, a change that helps people using tablets during phone repairs or those who prefer a tablet-first workflow.