In this tutorial, we show you how to use two or more WhatsApp accounts on your iPhone or computer for seamless communication across your personal and business contacts.
Many people have two or more mobile phone numbers, at least for personal and business use. iPhone supports two SIMs at the same time, so you mat want to create two WhatsApp accounts to use simultaneously.
Unlike with Telegram and some other apps, WhatsApp doesn’t support multiple accounts. To use two or more WhatsApp accounts on the same iPhone, you’ll need to follow the methods right ahead.
Set up and run multiple WhatsApp accounts on iPhone
You have two ways to do that.
1. Use WhatsApp Business
WhatsApp Business is the only official, free, and sensible way to have two WhatsApp accounts on the same iPhone or Android device. WhatsApp Business app has all the features found in the regular WhatsApp, with a few extra ones in the Business Tools section, such as automatic greetings, away replies, and quick replies.
Even if you use WhatsApp on just one device, you can use WhatsApp Business instead of the regular WhatsApp app to use these exclusive tools.
- Download the WA Business app from Apple’s App Store or Google’s Play Store.
- Follow the usual steps to sign up and log n to WhatsApp Business, but be sure to use a different phone number from your standard WhatsApp.
2. Use unofficial third-party apps
Some third-party apps purport they support multiple WhatsApp accounts on a single device, as evidenced if you search for Two WhatsApp, Dual WhatsApp, or Duo WhatsApp on the App Store.
What these apps really do is emulate WhatsApp’s web interface on your iPhone. In theory, they work as advertised but there are some issues with that—you cannot use WhatsApp Web without the mobile app set up on your phone. In other words, WhatsApp Web is an extension of the WhatsApp account you’re already using in WhatsApp on iOS or Android
So:
- If you own an old iPhone or Android phone that you don’t use regularly, open WhatsApp on it.
- On your main iPhone, download a third-party app from the App Store which claims to support two or more WhatsApp accounts.
- On your old device, go to WhatsApp Settings > Linked Devices > Link Device. If this is an Android device, tap the three dots in the top-right and choose Linked devices > Link a Device.
- Using your old device, scan the QR code displayed in the Dual WhatsApp app on your main iPhone.
- You can now use your second WhatsApp account on your primary iPhone inside the third-party app you downloaded.
Conclusion
To use two WhatsApp accounts on one iPhone or Android phone, avoid unofficial apps that bombard you with ads, block features behind a paywall, and crash or perform unreliably. Instead, download the official WA Business app and set up your second account there.
To use three or more WhatsApp accounts on a single iPhone, dust off your old phone or buy an inexpensive Android phone if you don’t have it anymore. After setting up WhatsApp on that device, you can access WhatsApp Web for that account in the unofficial Dual or Duo WhatsApp app on your main iPhone.
Use more than one WhatsApp account on your Mac or Windows PC
You can use multiple WhatsApp accounts on your computer as long as you have them set up on a phone. That’s because you can only activate or sign up for a WhatsApp account on a phone. Once activated, you can use the account on your Mac or Windows PC in the official WhatsApp desktop apps or in web browsers like Chrome, Safari, or Edge.
With multiple accounts set up on your phone, follow the methods below to use them on your computer.
Before you read further: All the methods below require you to log in using WhatsApp Web. Here’s how to do that:
- Go to web.whatsapp.com in a browser or open the WhatsApp desktop app and up pops a QR code; scan it using WhatsApp on your phone.
- On iPhone: Open WhatsApp > Settings > Linked Devices > Link Device and scan the QR code.
- On Android: Open WhatsApp > three dots icon from the top-right > Linked devices > Link a Device and scan the QR code.
Now that you know how to use WhatsApp Web, here’s how to have two or more WhatsApp accounts on your Mac or Windows PC.
1. Use WhatsApp for desktop
You can download the WhatsApp desktop app for your Mac or PC and use one account with it.
Download WhatsApp for Mac or PC | Download from Mac App Store
2. Use two or more WhatsApp accounts in the same browser
You can only use one WhatsApp account per browser. To use two WhatsApp accounts on a computer, set up one in the desktop app and the other one in a web browser. The following workarounds will let you use multiple WhatsApp accounts on your Mac or PC inside the same browser.
I. Use Incognito or Private window
Simply open an incognito window and log into WhatsApp Web there. On a Mac, press Command + Shift + N in Chrome or Safari. Firefox users can press Command + Shift + P instead.
Note: All logins and tabs are gone when you close out the incognito window, which is fine when using WhatsApp on a shared computer but inconvenient if it’s your personal machine.
II. Create different browser profiles
Chrome, Brave, and Safari let you create profiles that work nearly as separate browsers, each supporting different account logins, extensions, etc.
If you use Chrome, click Profiles > Add Profile. You can now set up a WhatsApp account using the other browser profile.
III. Use browser containers
Firefox has official Multi-Accounts Containers, which I have been using for years. The basic concept is the same as Chrome profiles, which work in separate windows. Conveniently, Firefox containers work in the same window.
IV. Use extensions
You can download browser extensions such as SessionBox with multi-user capabilities that enable you to login and use two accounts of the same service in a single browsing session.
Download SessionBox from Chrome web store
3. Use a different browser
Finally, use a different browser for your second or third WhatsApp account. For instance, you may set up one WhatsApp account in Chrome, another one in Safari, yet another in Firefox or Opera—you get the idea.
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