How do I link WhatsApp to another device?
- Open WhatsApp on your primary phone (the phone your account is registered on).
- Tap Settings, then Linked Devices.
- Tap Link a Device. WhatsApp may ask you to confirm with your phone's fingerprint, face unlock, or passcode first.
- On the device you want to add — a computer at web.whatsapp.com, the WhatsApp Desktop app, or a second phone's companion mode — a QR code will appear.
- Point your primary phone's camera at that QR code to scan it. The device links immediately and starts syncing your chats.
If scanning isn't convenient — for example, linking on a device without a camera view of the code — WhatsApp Web also offers a "link with phone number" option that gives you a short code to type in instead of scanning.
How many devices can I link, and does my main phone need to stay connected?
You can have up to four linked devices active on your account at the same time. Once a device is linked, your primary phone does not need to stay continuously connected to the internet for the linked devices to keep working. However, you do need to open WhatsApp on your primary phone with an internet connection at least once every 14 days — if it goes longer than that without connecting, your linked devices will be logged out automatically.
How is this different from switching my WhatsApp account to a new phone?
Linking a device adds a companion — your primary phone is still the account's home, and the linked computer, tablet, or second phone just mirrors it. If you're instead retiring your old phone and want your account, chats, and number to live on a brand-new phone going forward, that's an account migration, not linking. You'd reinstall WhatsApp on the new phone, verify the same number, and restore your chats from a backup rather than scanning a Linked Devices QR code.
See our guide on restoring WhatsApp chats from backup for how that migration/restore flow works.
How do I remove or log out a device I linked?
Go to Settings > Linked Devices, tap the device you want to disconnect, and tap Log Out. Do this right away if a linked device is lost, stolen, or no longer something you use or trust — it immediately cuts that device off from your chats.
People also ask
Do both devices need internet to link WhatsApp?
Yes. Both your primary phone and the device you're linking need an active internet connection at the moment you scan the QR code, and each device maintains its own connection afterward.
Can I link a second phone as a companion device, not just a computer?
Yes. WhatsApp supports linking another phone as a companion device the same way it supports linking WhatsApp Web or Desktop, within the same 4-device limit.
What happens if my primary phone stays offline for more than 14 days?
Your linked devices will be logged out automatically. Open WhatsApp on your primary phone with an internet connection at least once every 14 days to keep them connected.