CALIFORNIA (Kashmir English): WhatsApp has begun testing a new Apple Watch companion app – its first major step toward deeper smartwatch integration.
The update comes via the TestFlight program and is available with version 25.32.10.71 for WhatsApp beta on iOS.
The new companion app allows Apple Watch users to see their WhatsApp chat list, read messages, and view shared media from the wrist.
It also provides users with the ability to send new messages without waiting for notifications, as well as react to messages using emojis. It also supports voice input, enabling users to conveniently dictate or send audio messages.
However, the experience still depends on a connected iPhone with WhatsApp installed, since this version is a companion app rather than a standalone one.
Even with that limitation, this move represents meaningful progress for WhatsApp on Apple’s wearable platform; the existing experience has long felt restricted, and this update hints at broader capabilities to come in future versions.
The companion app remains in testing for now, and there is no official timeline yet for when it will hit the App Store for all users.
