Soon, WhatsApp users will be able to send messages even if their phone battery is dead.
The new feature which is currently being tested by the company allows the connection of up to four other devices including PC’s and tablets, which can all be used together.
Unlike how it’s done presently where WhatsApp is linked to a user’s phone and desktop and web apps need the devices to be connected and receive messages, the new feature gives each device an “identity key”. To prevent privacy breaches, WhatsApp keeps a record of all keys belonging to a user thus not storing messages on its server. However, end-to-end encryption which has been a major feature of WhatsApp will still be retained alongside the new feature.
In a recent blog post by Facebook engineers, it was stated that the current WhatsApp software has to be considered before a complete change. According to the post, “the current version uses a smartphone app as the primary device, making the phone the source of truth for all user data and the only device capable of end-to-end encrypting messages for another user [or] initiating calls. WhatsApp Web and other non-smartphone apps are essentially a “mirror” of what happens on the phone.”
One of the disadvantages of the current WhatsApp software is that the web app frequently disconnects. Also, it’s wired to accommodate only one companion app to be active at a time. “The new WhatsApp multi-device architecture removes these hurdles, no longer requiring a smartphone to be the source of truth, while still keeping user data seamlessly and securely synchronised and private,” the blog post read.
Despite the assurance of the new WhatsApp software, security specialist at anti-virus-company Eset, Jake Moore, has expressed concerns that having messages on more devices is not ideal no matter the security capacity.
“There will always be a malicious actor looking to create a workaround,” he said.
“Domestic abusers and stalkers could now have the potential of using this new feature to their advantage, by creating additional endpoints to capture any synchronised private communications. Engineering is an ever-increasing threat, and the responsibility lies with the user to keep an eye out for potential misuse.”
“It is therefore vital that people are aware of all the devices that are connected to their account,” he warned.
WhatsApp announced that the new feature will soon be available for beta test to know if more features will be added before introducing it to the public.