After years of demand, WhatsApp has officially launched a dedicated app for iPads. Previously, iPad owners could only use the messaging service through a web version that required a lengthy sign-in process.
The iPad app, teased by WhatsApp on May 27 via social media, brings the same features available on the iPhone version. A screenshot shows a familiar layout and user experience, designed to mirror the mobile app.
One of the main delays in developing an iPad app was WhatsApp’s lack of multi-device syncing for end-to-end encrypted chats. Initially, web versions only mirrored conversations from the user’s phone. But in 2021, WhatsApp introduced multi-device support, allowing secure syncing across devices.
By January 2022, WhatsApp head Will Cathcart confirmed this multi-device support was the key step toward building an iPad app. Meta began beta testing the iPad version in late 2023, and now, more than a year later, the full release has arrived.
