Finally: WhatsApp comes to iPad after years of anticipation

After years of waiting, WhatsApp is expanding its app to more iPad beta users, marking a long-awaited step toward bringing the popular messaging platform to Apple tablets. Testers in Israel report the app works smoothly, mirroring the mobile experience. According to estimates, the full release is anticipated within a few months.

WhatsApp, one of the world's leading messaging apps, was founded in 2009 by Jan Koum and Brian Acton. By 2024, it had reached over 2 billion active users worldwide. Acquired by Meta (formerly Facebook) in 2014 for approximately $19 billion, WhatsApp has become an integral part of Meta’s digital ecosystem, alongside Facebook and Instagram.

Despite WhatsApp's massive success on smartphones, the iPad version faced prolonged delays. One primary challenge was the technical difficulty of synchronizing the app across multiple devices while maintaining privacy and security. Initially, WhatsApp followed a model linking each device to a single phone account, which complicated adaptation for tablets. However, with advancing technology, Meta developed a solution enabling multiple devices to connect securely to the same account, paving the way for the iPad release.

On the iPad, WhatsApp operates similarly to its mobile counterpart, offering familiar features like messaging, photo and video sharing, and voice and video calls. The interface is optimized for tablet screen sizes, delivering a more comfortable user experience. Still, like the mobile version, WhatsApp on iPad requires an active connection to the user’s phone account.

Until now, users hoping to access WhatsApp on an iPad could only do so through the browser using WhatsApp Web, allowing them to send and receive messages. However, the web experience lacked the full convenience of a dedicated app, creating high anticipation among users for the upcoming official iPad release.

A few months ago, an initial trial version of WhatsApp for iPad was released to a limited number of users. Now, the beta is available to a broader pool of testers via TestFlight, a platform allowing developers to test beta versions before official launch. Israeli users report that the beta version functions independently and seamlessly, much like the smartphone version. Meta is expected to roll out the app to all users within a few months.