According to Thurrott.com, WhatsApp for iPhone is finally getting multi-account support, a feature users have been begging for. The latest beta version already lets some testers add a second account and switch between them seamlessly. Instead of needing the separate WhatsApp Business app, users can now have two personal accounts in one place. Each account gets its own customized notification and privacy settings, and the idle account still receives message alerts. The feature requires a separate phone number for registration. Public rollout is scheduled for later in 2026.
About Time, Honestly
Look, this has been a glaring omission for years. Pretty much every other Meta app—Instagram, Threads, Facebook—has had multi-account support forever. WhatsApp felt like the odd one out, stubbornly clinging to that one-account-per-device approach. And let’s be real, who hasn’t wanted to keep work and personal chats separate without carrying two phones?
Here’s the thing though: WhatsApp’s entire identity is still tied to phone numbers. That’s both its strength and its limitation. The fact that you need a whole separate SIM or number just to add another account feels… outdated. But there’s hope—username support is reportedly coming too, which could eventually make this whole process way smoother.
What This Actually Means for Users
Basically, this eliminates the need for that janky workaround where people install both WhatsApp and WhatsApp Business. Now you can have two proper accounts living in harmony. Each gets its own settings, which is huge for privacy. Want work notifications on but personal ones off? Done.
But I’ve got to ask—why 2026? That’s two years away. The beta’s already working, the support pages are written—what’s taking so long? Maybe they’re being extra cautious with security, which I get. WhatsApp handles some seriously sensitive conversations.
The official documentation makes it sound straightforward, but I’m curious how they’ll handle things like backups and media storage. Will each account get its own 2GB of iCloud backup space? These are the details that matter.
Where This Fits in WhatsApp’s Evolution
This feels like part of WhatsApp’s gradual shift from a simple messaging app to a more platform-like experience. Multi-account support, upcoming usernames, better business tools—they’re slowly building out a more sophisticated ecosystem.
And honestly, it’s about survival. Messaging apps that don’t evolve get left behind. With competitors offering more flexibility, WhatsApp needed to step up. This multi-account feature, while basic, addresses one of the most common user frustrations.
Will it be enough to keep people from jumping to other platforms? Probably for now. But the 2026 timeline feels painfully slow in tech years. By then, who knows what new messaging trends will have emerged?
