We are going to explain the different methods with which you can activate WhatsApp so that if you already have an account created you can activate it on the device you want. Activating WhatsApp, taking it to the conventional jargon of the technological world, would be like logging in with the account you already have created on a new device.
We will start the article by clearly explaining all the limits and conditions that exist when activating WhatsApp on a new device. Then, we will explain step by step how you can do it, and we will end by reminding you how to activate your account if you have been hacked.
Limits when activating WhatsApp
We are going to start by talking to you about the limits that you will encounter when activating WhatsApp. For starters, you can currently only have WhatsApp activated on a single device at a time. Methods are being worked on to make it a multi-device application, but it has not yet begun to be implemented.
This means that, for now, if you activate WhatsApp on one device, the session on the other device where you had it activated before will be closed. In addition, if you change devices very quickly on the same day, the anti-hacking protection will skip, and WhatsApp will ask you to wait a couple of hours before being able to activate it again on a device, even if it was where you had it before you changed.
This protection can also skip you if you try to activate WhatsApp while you have the app active on another mobile phone. If you keep trying, you may be blocked from reactivating it, and you may have to do it as if your account had been hacked. We will explain the process to you a little later, also in this article.
WhatsApp allows it to be used on other devices without activating the app on them through WhatsApp Web. This is a page where you can link WhatsApp with your mobile phone so that the WhatsApp conversations on your mobile phone can be seen on the web as if you had the app activated on your computer or tablet.
However, what you should know is that WhatsApp web is dependent on the mobile since you do not have WhatsApp activated in the browser, but rather you have it linked to the device. This means that if you turn off your phone, it is no longer on the same network as the computer, or you move too far away, it will stop working.
The same thing happens with WhatsApp Desktop, which is a WhatsApp application for PCs that works through WhatsApp Web, which is a web application. It is the web, but designed so that it works as an independent app. You must also link it to the mobile, so WhatsApp will not be activated on the PC, but you will have a direct connection between your computer and the mobile, seeing the WhatsApp conversations on the mobile on the PC.
Another thing you should know is that you can activate WhatsApp on a mobile phone that does not have a SIM card. To do this, the device must be connected to WiFi, and you will need the mobile phone where you have the SIM next to it to receive the SMS or the call with the activation key.
Finally, you should know that there are also limits on WhatsApp backups. Backups on Android are made to Google Drive, and on iOS they are made to iCloud. This means that if you go from an Android device to an iOS device or vice versa, the conversations you had on one will be lost on the other. Everything will go with you if you go from Android to Android or from iOS to iOS when activating WhatsApp on a new device, but you lose it when you change operating systems.
How to activate WhatsApp
The first option is to activate WhatsApp by SMS. To do this, the first thing is to download WhatsApp on the mobile where you want to use it. It is available on Android through Google Play, and on iOS in the App Store, so download it as if it were any other application.
When you install the app, open it. The first thing you will see is a screen where you have links to read the privacy policy and terms of service. However, as you already know because you have registered before, these are things that you will have to accept if you want to use the application, so you must click on the Accept and Continue green button.
Next, you will go to a screen where you must write the phone number of the WhatsApp account that you want to activate on your device. You have to start with the international code, which will be filled in automatically if you manually choose your country above. To the right of this code, write your normal phone number. When you have written the number, click on the Next button to continue.
Next, a pop-up window will open in which the phone number you entered will appear again, and you will be asked if it is correct. Here, if you have not made a mistake with the number, click on the OK button to confirm. And if you click on Edit, you will return to the previous screen to modify it.
Next, you will go to a screen where you have to type the six-digit WhatsApp verification code. This code will be sent to you via SMS by default, although you will also have the option to request a call.
If you request access by call instead of by SMS, you will receive a call from another country at the same time. You are not going to talk to a real person, what you will hear when you pick up is an answering machine that continually repeats the verification code so that you can write it while you listen to it.
After entering the code correctly, WhatsApp will ask you for permission to access the contacts, which is optional. Then you will go to the last screen of the process, where you must choose a profile photo and a name for your account. Then press Next and you can start using WhatsApp. You will have to set the name and photo every time you activate it on a device, and you can change it later whenever you want.
Activate WhatsApp if you get hacked or blocked
There are times when another person can hack WhatsApp and gain access to your account. Or simply, you are activating it on so many devices at the same time that you can’t quite do it. It’s as if every time you try they tell you to wait longer to receive the code, as if the WhatsApp on your other device is stuck. In both cases, the procedure is the same.
What you have to do is send an email to [email protected], which is the official support account. Inside the email, you have to write the text Stolen/lost phone: Please deactivate my account next to your phone number. You must send the number in an international code, with +34 in front if it is a Spanish number, or the account from your country if your SIM is from another country.
When sending the email, WhatsApp will close all sessions of your account, so both an attacker and the other mobile phone you have will lose access. With your account free, you can now recover your number. Therefore, now log back into WhatsApp, and enter your phone number to start the login process again.
You will again reach the screen where it says that you need to write a code. If you’ve reached this point, WhatsApp may tell you to wait a few hours before it can send you the code. To avoid waiting, you can click on the Call me button, pick up the call that WhatsApp will make to you (it may be from other countries), and write the code that it repeats over and over again. And that’s it, with this you will finally activate your WhatsApp.
Sharlene Meriel is an avid gamer with a knack for technology. He has been writing about the latest technologies for the past 5 years. His contribution in technology journalism has been noteworthy. He is also a day trader with interest in the Forex market.
