WABetaInfo has learned that WhatsApp's latest beta version has a "Linked devices" section in its settings that may allow users to use WhatsApp on multiple cell phones.

An examination of WhatsApp beta version 2.20.196.8. for Android revealed an option suggesting the possibility of using the messaging service on multiple devices.

In the current full release version, WhatsApp requires a phone number to be tied to it. If you switch to a different phone model, you can receive all chats and media used in WhatsApp from a backup, but you will need to use the same phone number as before the switch. If you wish to move to a different phone number, you will need to create a new WhatsApp profile.

Such profiles are easy to set up, but may disrupt the flow of messages or make it difficult for contacts to know which profile to send messages to. WhatsApp is also available in the desktop and web apps, but both require phone number authentication is required, so setting it up can be a bit tricky.

However, if the "linked devices" feature really does allow WhatsApp to be used on more than one phone at a time, it may make it easier to use WhatsApp if you frequently use different phones. According to WABetaInfo, WhatsApp is testing the ability to link up to four devices.

These devices do not have to be phones, and it appears that macOS machines can also be linked. In any case, this is the kind of functionality that many WhatsApp users have been waiting for. This new beta configuration option suggests that multi-device support may be coming sooner rather than later.