Apple Finally Brings One of the iPhone’s Most Downloaded Apps to the iPad

Admittedly, it’s become a bit of a running joke over recent years: why doesn’t WhatsApp, one of the world’s most popular messaging apps, have an iPad app? It’s been available on iPhone and Mac for years, but why not iPad?

Well, that just changed.

After beta testing (via TestFlight) a dedicated iPad app for almost the last two years and, just this week, hinting at its official release (via the “eyes” emoji) on its official X account, WhatsApp finally has a dedicated iPad app.

WhatsApp, now on iPad

Meta

Meta (formerly Facebook), which acquired WhatsApp in 2014 for $19 billion, stated in a blog post: “As one of our biggest requests, we’re excited to announce that WhatsApp is now available on iPad.”

The fact that WhatsApp now has a dedicated iPad app is notable because, first and foremost, WhatsApp is one of the world’s most popular messaging apps. And now iPhone users can take advantage of it on a larger screen.

For those wondering, WhatsApp differs from Apple’s Messages app because it’s a cross-platform messaging service — it works equally as well on iPhone and Android devices.

Meta

This makes WhatsApp a better option for communicating with a large group of people or between businesses. It is also the preferred messaging app when traveling, as Apple’s Messages isn’t as ubiquitously used outside the US.

When using WhatsApp on the iPad, it promises to work mostly the same as on your iPhone. You can make video and audio calls with up to 32 people, share your screen, and use both front and back cameras. But it also promises to take advantage of the iPad’s larger screen real estate.

In the company’s blog post, it states that WhatsApp for iPad takes advantage of iPadOS’s multitasking features, including Split View, Slide Over and Stage Manager, which allows you to view multiple apps at once. This makes it easy to participate in a video call while browsing the web simultaneously.

When is it coming out?

Meta

You can download WhatsApp on iPad from Apple’s App Store today. It’s free.

Note: Meta also owns Instagram, which also lacks a dedicated iPad app — which, like WhatsApp (up until now), has been another long-running annoyance.

However, it has been widely reported that Meta is working on a dedicated iPad app, but no release date appears to be imminent. That said, with Meta’s announcement of a dedicated iPad app for WhatsApp, a similar app for Instagram could be closer than we think.

To learn more about WhatsApp on iPad, check out Meta’s blog post (link below).

Related Topics