Currently, WhatsApp linked to one account number only works on the phone. Users have the option of accessing it on their desktop via WhatsApp Web, but it is dependent on the phone for the connection to continue. With the new public beta, all of this will change.

In a blog post on the Facebook engineering site, the company says in the new multi-device support, “Each companion device will connect to your WhatsApp independently while maintaining the same level of privacy and security through end-to-end encryption…”

WhatsApp has “developed new technologies to maintain end-to-end encryption” even as data such as contact names, chat archives, starred messages will sync across devices. According to the post, the company had to “rethink WhatsApp architecture and design,” in order to enable this.

How does WhatsApp multi-device support work?

At the moment the primary device is the “only device capable of end-to-end encryption messages for another user, initiating calls, etc.” Companion devices such as your desktop or laptop, are simply mirroring the content of WhatsApp on your phone and using their own user interface.

Under the new system, the phone will no longer be the primary device and the user data will remain “seamlessly and securely synchronized and private,” according to the blog.

What about end-to-end encryption, user privacy?

WhatsApp says it is using the client-fanout approach for this, where “the WhatsApp client sending the message encrypts and transmits it N number of times to N number of different devices – those in the sender and receiver’s device lists.” The message is “individually encrypted using the established pairwise encryption session with each device.”

Further, messages are not stored on the server after they are delivered, and WhatsApp continues to use the same scalable Sender Key encryption scheme from the Signal Protocol. Further, all calls and video calls, including group ones will remain end-to-end encrypted.

“Government has asked to shut down the policy. We have said we will not enforce it till the Data Protection Bill comes out. That is open-ended because we don’t know when the Bill going to come out … We have said we will not do this for a while. Suppose the bill allows me to do it, we will have completely different ramifications,” senior advocate Harish Salve made the submission on behalf of WhatsApp.

A report in Bar and Bench further quoted Salves as saying the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY) has communicated to the instant messaging platform that its privacy policy is against the Information Technology (Reasonable Security Practices and Procedures and Sensitive Personal Data or Information, Rules 2011.

The Centre had earlier told the court that it has written to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg on the issue and a reply is awaited and therefore, there was need to maintain the status quo with regard to implementation of the policy.

How to forward WhatsApp sticker pack?

Currently, WhatsApp users can only forward stickers and not the entire sticker pack. The latest update lets you forward the entire sticker pack at once. You can check if this feature is available by going to the WhatsApp Sticker Store and looking for the forward button. To go to the WhatsApp Sticker Store, open a chat and tap on the emoji button. Then select the sticker icon and tap on the + icon to open the WhatsApp Sticker Store.

Once you’re in you will see the list of WhatsApp sticker packs that you can download and add to your library. Look out for the forward button which is an arrow on top of the sticker pack. Tap on this button and select the contact or contacts you wish to send the sticker pack to.

WhatsApp will send a deep link so that you can quickly view and download the sticker pack. As noted by WABetaInfo, this feature is available only for the official WhatsApp sticker packs. It will not work with third-party sticker packs that are not available in the WhatsApp Sticker Store. Since this feature is already available on WhatsApp’s beta iOS app, it is expected to roll out to all users soon.

WhatsApp also releases dedicated sticker packs for special occasions. users should know that there are various sticker-maker apps available through which users can actually make their own stickers.