In an interview with The Verge, Will Cathcart confirmed that a dedicated WhatsApp app could be coming to the iPad soon. The head of WhatsApp acknowledged those who had long wanted the program and said “he would like to do it.”
Like Instagram, WhatsApp for iPad has become a much-needed feature. In order to use those apps, users had to turn to using the same browser versions, which are less robust or more flexible. And although Cathart did not commit himself on the day of the app release, the company already has the basic technology needed to build on another.
“We’ve done a lot of work on technology to support multiple devices,” Cathcart said, referring to the multi-device support installed on WhatsApp last year. The feature allows a person to continue using his or her desktop system even when he or she loses network connection to his or her phones. He says the feature is “really important” in the tablet app, and therefore, “basic technology exists.”
WhatsApp for iPad: What Can You Expect?
Since the app is built on pre-built foundations, we can expect features such as the desktop version. Theme options such as black or light mode will be available on launch, next to the option to set a chat background image. With the new support for many existing devices, users will no longer need to scan a QR code from their main mobile device, and they can log in when needed.
The payment feature will probably not diminish, as it currently only comes from Android. An independent business app can also take some time to appear in the App Store. We can also expect to see the disappearance message feature, as well as the newly released iOS update that allows one to pause the recording of messages before sending them.
Multiple device support allows a person to sync his WhatsApp account to four devices at a time. Prior to this, synchronization of chat history across devices was not possible, due to the company’s bizarre encryption system. The new login feature exceeds that limit by mapping device identifiers to the account key, in a way that encryption is unaffected.
On the other hand, Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri continues to resist the urge to release a dedicated iPad application. He says that although the idea seems appealing, there is a lot of work to be done and it is taking care of a few people. And so, “it never happened.”
