WhatsApp was introduced to make communication, basically textual, on phones convenient and instant. But the overlap of technologies on a range of devices forced companies, including WhatsApp, to offer multifaceted services. WhatsApp has been available on iOS only for iPhone while its macOS app is a substitute to WhatsApp Desktop. The company has now reportedly begun testing the WhatsApp iPad app.
The news comes straight from WABetaInfo, the WhatsApp watchdog, that managed to obtain screenshots of the pilot app for iPad. The interface is very much like WhatsApp Desktop (including the apps on macOS and Windows 10). The chats will be shown on the left pane while they open on the right side. The navigation tabs are available on the bottom panel, much like the iPhone app. The WhatsApp for iPad supports the UI and screen resolution.
WhatsApp audio and video calls are also working on the iPad app, as per the screenshots. The Touch ID support for biometric unlocking is also available. WhatsApp Status is available, however, with a slight change. There is no split screen for Status, a la WhatsApp Desktop. The Camera tab is also not available in the version accessed by WABetaInfo. It may or may not make it to the final version.
All the features that have so far been introduced on the iOS app will be available on the iPad app. WABetaInfo notes that the iPad app will not be released directly to the stable channel. It will first be made available for TestFlight users, which is essentially the beta programme on iOS. Interested users can enrol themselves for TestFlight, however, the spots are already full. As of now, even the TestFlight users are not able to find the iPad app but they should look for WhatsApp in the iPad’s App Store for availability.
