Meta has finally released a native WhatsApp interface for Apple’s iPad, and it’s available in WhatsApp for iOS v25.16.81 which just hit the App Store.
This is not a new app; rather, WhatsApp has updated its existing iPhone app with the native iPad interface. The app is now a universal download for the iPhone, iPad and Mac. The iPad app launched fifteen years after the original iPad debuted in 2010.
WhatsApp for iPad has been in testing for months via the WhatsApp Beta on TestFlight. WhatsApp yesterday responded with a wink to a question on social media about the iPad app, hinting that the launch was imminent. WhatsApp’s X account has changed status to “Sent from iPad” following the release of the iPad version.
WhatsApp for iPad hits the App Store
The iPad version of the messaging software has the same privacy protections and end-to-end encryption found in the mobile and desktop clients. The Status feature, video calling with up to 32 people and app lock are all included in the iPad version, among other features. Screen sharing and taking images using the front and rear cameras also work in the iPad versions.
Some of the latest features may not be immediately available in the iPad app, like voice chat, available by swiping up in group conversations to talk live.
Most importantly, the app supports multitasking modes in iPadOS, including Stage Manager, SlideOver and Split View, so you can keep tabs on your chats while working in another app. For example, you can view your chats in a side-by-side Split View while browsing the web instead of constantly switching between apps.
Before the native iPad app existed, using WhatsApp on an iPad entailed running the web-based version in a browser. The Information reported that Meta committed to building an official iPad app to exploit the TikTok situation in the United States.
Meta is also rumored to be working on a native Instagram iPad app optimized for the tablet’s larger display.