Is multi-device the Achilles heel of WhatsApp?

Let's focus on the meaning of the question...

Although many users consider instant messaging apps almost equal to each other, in reality, each has its own unique features that make it unique. So for example, WhatsApp will be different from Telegram, and Telegram has features that don’t have Snapchat, WeChat, etc.

And about the weaknesses of each?

If we focus on WhatsApp, talking about weaknesses is perhaps a bit risky, considering that we are talking about the King of messaging apps. Between 2017 and 2018 WhatsApp has reached a record of 1.5 billion active monthly users. Really amazing numbers! According to research published in the magazine ZDnet, WhatsApp users send over 55 billion messages a day.

But if we dig a little deeper, even WhatsApp has some lacks. If we look at the User Experience trend of the last few years, the topic of multi-user catches our eye. Many web services offer the possibility of working on multiple devices simultaneously, sharing the same account. But WhatsApp doesn’t allow this. We know WhatsApp Web… But when you connect your number to the Desktop App, you immediately lose access on the phone. This means that there is no real simultaneity.

The reason for this limited use choice is a true mystery.

Ok, maybe not a mystery as big as the Demogorgon of Stranger Things?…

But it is still a strange marketing choice, especially after the release of WhatsApp Business.

How does a company where different employees work not to have multi-users? Any marketing or customer support activity needs access by different workers. Only one agent can’t do everything by himself!

Read how this question ends up on our mercury's blog post dedicated to WhatsApp multiple users.

Enjoy the reading

Vanessa Elliott, Co-founder at Mercury.chat