It is currently not possible to log into WhatsApp without switching through the smartphone, but this situation could change in the future with multi-device synchronization and indeed even without the use of a phone nearby, both from desktop (with MacOS and Windows) and on Portal, the Facebook platform.
So far, as mentioned, the synchronization of chats on multiple devices has always gone from smartphone, which is the sole holder of the identity key useful for encrypting messages with end-to-end encryption (i.e. operated by devices and not by the central server), available on the app for some years. However, the developers have now implemented a change that allows a maximum of 4 devices to register their identity key, associated with the same account, to send encrypted messages without going through the smartphone.
Tutorial
Chat, contacts, photos and videos: how to backup an Android smartphone
by Emanuele Capone
Good news for those who use WhatsApp as their primary instant messaging app and have been unable to use the service without the smartphone nearby (or if it is empty or without connection). The feature is now active for a small number of subscribers to the beta program and is expected to be officially released in the future.
Along with this feature, WhatsApp users will also be able to make and receive calls and video calls on these end-to-end encrypted devices and these changes will have no effect on how backups are made to the cloud.
Privacy e chat
Why it is important to use (and defend) Signal
by Andrea Daniele Signorelli
WhatsApp is among the most popular messaging apps in the world, with 2 billion users in 2019, but was among the last to fully support end-to-end encryption: Signal and Telegram have been doing it for years e Telegram even access from multiple devices without synchronization with the smartphone; instead, to access Signal from the desktop it is necessary to configure the synchronization from the mobile app.
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