WhatsApp brings multi-account function to iPhone after months of delay

WhatsApp is finally rolling out the ability to use more than one account on the same iPhone, a long-awaited feature that has already been available to Android users for months.

The update, spotted in the latest iOS beta release and first reported by feature-tracking platform WABetaInfo, marks a major step toward giving iPhone users greater flexibility in managing personal, work, or secondary phone numbers within a single app.

For years, iPhone owners have relied on awkward workarounds to manage two accounts, often installing WhatsApp Business as a second app or switching between devices. Android users, meanwhile, received official multi-account support back in 2023, creating a noticeable feature gap between the two ecosystems.

With the new iOS beta, WhatsApp introduces a built-in “Account List” section that allows users to add a second phone number and switch between accounts instantly.

Each account keeps its own chat history, notification settings, privacy controls, and backups, ensuring that work and personal conversations remain separate.

Once the update becomes widely available, users will be able to add an extra account directly from WhatsApp settings.

Early testers say switching between accounts works smoothly using quick-access gestures or by tapping an account selector, similar to how users switch email profiles in Gmail.

The feature will support:

Creating a brand-new account with a fresh number

Adding an existing WhatsApp account currently used on another device

Linking a companion account through a QR code

WhatsApp is also enabling its App Lock feature on a per-account basis, meaning each profile can be protected with Face ID or a passcode when switching.

The long delay on iPhone appears to be tied to stricter system architecture and WhatsApp’s own encryption rules.

Allowing two fully independent, end-to-end encrypted accounts to coexist on one iOS app required substantial engineering work, especially around local storage separation, background processes, and notification handling.

Sources familiar with the development say WhatsApp has been testing this internally for months, with the iOS implementation requiring more safeguards than Android due to Apple’s sandboxing constraints.

Other Topics To Read

• Headlines
• WhatsApp
• iPhone
• iPhone users
• WhatsApp brings multi-account function to iPhone after months of delay
• Technology

The company has not given an exact date for the public rollout, but the presence of the feature in beta suggests that it is approaching completion.

Once released globally, iPhone users will finally have the same multi-account flexibility Android users have enjoyed for more than a year.