Whatsapp is a very popular alternative to iMessage – with the big bonus that you can group message all your friends, regardless of which mobile phones they own, rather than being tied to Apple iPhones. The problem with WhatsApp is that while there is a Whatsapp app for the iPhone, running the service on the iPad or Mac isn’t a simple process.
It is possible to use WhatsApp on the Mac and iPad via WhatsApp web. (Read: How to use WhatsApp on Mac and How to use WhatsApp on iPad.) However, what people have been calling out for is an iPad app (which could conceivably be ported to the Mac, or at least M1 Macs).
It has already been rumoured that WhatsApp (which is owned by Facebook) will introduce a native iPad app, as well as one for Android tablets – indeed Mark Zuckerberg has suggested as much.
Apparently development is already underway. In a tweet, WABetainfo reveals that development is underway and in accompanying notes he adds that “If you have WhatsApp beta for iOS, you will automatically have the iPad version in the future.”
• Is WhatsApp for iPad a web app? No, it’s a native app!
• Will WhatsApp for iPad work independently? Yes.
• Is WhatsApp for iPad already available? No.
• WhatsApp beta for iPad? If you have WhatsApp beta for iOS, you will automatically have the iPad version in the future. https://t.co/aQYBBtW7Sb— WABetaInfo (@WABetaInfo)
August 21, 2021
Screenshots show linked devices, including an iPad, demonstrating multi-device support.
This article originally appeared on Macwelt. Translation and additional reporting by Karen Haslam.
