What is a linked device on WhatsApp?
If you have ever used WhatsApp on a computer, you have used a linked device. The same idea is how tools that work with your WhatsApp number connect to it. Here is what a linked device is, how to see and remove them, and what to do when one is signed out.
In one sentence
A linked device on WhatsApp is another computer, tablet or connected service that you have allowed to use your WhatsApp account by scanning a QR code from your phone, so your chats can be read and answered there as well as on the phone.
In more detail
Your WhatsApp account belongs to your phone number, and your phone is the main device. A linked device is anything else you let use that same account. The best-known example is WhatsApp on a computer: you open it, it shows a QR code, and you scan the code from WhatsApp on your phone.
Once linked, the device shows the same chats as your phone. Messages you send from it come from your number, and messages customers send you appear on both. To the person you are chatting with, nothing looks different.
You link a device from the Linked devices screen in WhatsApp on your phone. You can see every device that is currently linked there, when each was last active, and you can log any of them out with a tap. WhatsApp limits how many devices can be linked to one account at the same time.
Linked devices can keep working for a while even when your phone is switched off or offline. WhatsApp does sign linked devices out if the phone has not been used for a long time, so it is worth opening WhatsApp on the phone regularly.
A linked device can be signed out for ordinary reasons: someone logs it out from the phone, WhatsApp is reinstalled, the phone is replaced, or WhatsApp asks for a fresh link. Being signed out is not the same as being banned. You simply scan a new QR code to link it again.
An example
| Linked device | What it is used for |
|---|---|
| WhatsApp on the shop computer | The person on the counter answers messages without picking up the owner's phone. |
| WhatsApp on a tablet at home | The owner checks evening messages on a bigger screen. |
| A connected service, such as Spaces | An AI agent reads and answers customer chats from the business number. |
| An old laptop nobody uses any more | Nothing. It should be logged out from the phone. |
How to check your linked devices
- Open WhatsApp on the phone that has the number.
- Go to Settings, or the menu, and choose Linked devices.
- Look at the list. Each entry shows the device and when it was last active.
- Tap any device you do not recognise or no longer use and log it out.
- To add a new one, choose Link a device and scan the QR code shown on the other screen.
Checking this list every month or two is a simple security habit. If you see a device you do not recognise, log it out straight away and consider turning on two-step verification in WhatsApp's settings.
Linked device or WhatsApp Business Platform: the difference
| Question | Linked device on your number | WhatsApp Business Platform |
|---|---|---|
| How it connects | You scan a QR code from your phone | A provider sets up access through Meta for a number |
| Where you can still reply | On your phone and on every linked device | Through the provider's software |
| Your existing chats | Stay exactly as they are | A number moved onto the platform starts in a separate set-up |
| Message templates | Not needed | Needed to start conversations outside the reply window |
| Main risk | Automation on a personal or small business account is restricted by WhatsApp's terms | Approval steps, template rules and per-conversation pricing |
Both are real ways to use WhatsApp with software. A linked device keeps everything on the number you already use, which is why many small businesses prefer it. It also means you need to stay within what WhatsApp expects of a normal account.
Keeping linked devices safe
- Only scan QR codes you opened yourself, on a screen you trust.
- Never scan a QR code someone sent you in a message. That is a common way accounts are taken over.
- Log out devices you no longer use, such as an old laptop.
- Turn on two-step verification in WhatsApp, so a new phone cannot take over your number without your PIN.
- Keep the phone with the number safe and updated.
What if...
| Situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| You see a linked device you do not recognise | Log it out straight away, then turn on two-step verification and check your other devices. |
| You get a new phone | Move WhatsApp to the new phone first, then check Linked devices. Relink anything that was signed out. |
| A connected tool stops showing new messages | Check whether its entry is still in Linked devices. If it has gone, link it again with a new QR code. |
| WhatsApp says it cannot link more devices | Log out one you no longer use, then try again. |
| You want to stop using a tool for good | Disconnect it in the tool, then log out its entry in Linked devices on your phone. |
None of these needs you to change your number or lose your chats. Linked devices sit on top of your account, so removing or relinking one leaves the conversations on your phone untouched.
Common mistakes
- Tidying up linked devices and removing a service you still use. If you connected a tool, leave its entry in place.
- Leaving the main phone switched off for weeks. Linked devices may be signed out.
- Reinstalling WhatsApp without expecting to relink everything afterwards.
- Scanning a QR code from a link someone else sent you.
- Assuming a sign-out means a ban. Usually it just means the device needs linking again.
- Sharing one phone among the whole team. Linking a computer for the shop counter is safer and easier to manage, because you can log it out at any time.
Why it matters for your business
- Your team can answer customers from a computer without sharing one phone.
- Connected tools can work with your existing number and your existing chats.
- You stay in control: you can see every linked device and log any of them out.
- A sign-out is usually a quick fix, not a disaster.
- Regular checks of the list keep strangers out of your customer conversations.
How Spaces handles it
Spaces connects WhatsApp as a linked device. You open the connect page, then on your phone open WhatsApp, go to Linked devices and scan the QR code. Your number, your chats and your phone stay exactly as they were, and you can keep replying from the phone at any time. A workspace can connect more than one number, and each number is its own account.
Because it is your own number, Spaces keeps it inside careful limits: at least 10 seconds between messages, up to 200 messages a day and a warm-up for new chats on a newly connected number. Replies in chats customers started are not held by the warm-up. Spaces lowers the risk to your number, but WhatsApp restricts automation on ordinary accounts, so it cannot promise WhatsApp will never act on one.
If WhatsApp signs the linked device out, Spaces pauses sending on that number straight away and shows it as needing attention. You reconnect by scanning a new QR code. After reconnecting, it is sensible to wait up to 24 hours before starting new chats, while replies can carry on. To disconnect for good, disconnect in Spaces and also remove the entry from Linked devices on your phone.
In short
A linked device is anything you have allowed to use your WhatsApp number by scanning a QR code: a computer, a tablet or a connected service. You can see and remove them all from your phone.
Check the list now and then, only scan codes you opened yourself, and if a device is signed out, just link it again.
FAQ
How do I link a device to WhatsApp?
Open WhatsApp on your phone, go to Linked devices, choose Link a device and scan the QR code shown on the other screen.
Can someone read my WhatsApp through a linked device?
Anyone with access to a linked device can read the chats on it. That is why you should only link devices you control and log out any you do not recognise.
Does my phone need to stay online?
Linked devices can work for a while without the phone being online, but WhatsApp signs them out if the phone is not used for a long time. Open WhatsApp on the phone regularly.
Why was my linked device logged out?
Common reasons are someone logging it out from the phone, WhatsApp being reinstalled, a new phone or WhatsApp asking for a fresh link. Scan a new QR code to link it again.
Is a sign-out the same as a ban?
No. A sign-out means the device needs linking again. A ban means WhatsApp has blocked the number, which shows clearly in the app on your phone.
Will customers see that I use a linked device?
No. Messages from a linked device come from your number and look the same as messages from your phone.
How do I remove Spaces from my WhatsApp?
Disconnect the number in Spaces, then on your phone open Linked devices and log out the Spaces entry as well.
Can I connect more than one WhatsApp number to Spaces?
Yes. Each number is linked with its own QR code and is treated as its own account, with its own limits.