Exhibit A
What an inbox adds that linked devices cannot
Takes turns down the list, skipping anyone who is full. Fair, but blind to skills.
Incoming · 0 left
- All 8 conversations have been routed.
Conversation 8 of 8 · Round-robin
Return pickup time?(needs returns)goes toCourier desk (companion phone)
Round-robin: it is Courier desk (companion phone)’s turn in the rotation. Round-robin ignores skills: Courier desk (companion phone) doesn’t cover returns.
Owner (main phone)
2 of 3 open
- pricing
- bulk
- Price for 50 block-print quilts?needs bulk
- Do you ship to Pune?needs delivery(skill mismatch)
Counter (WhatsApp Web)
2 of 4 open
- orders
- Where is my parcel?needs delivery(skill mismatch)
- Discount on 10 pieces?needs pricing(skill mismatch)
Packing desk (desktop)
2 of 3 open
- orders
- returns
- Order two cushion coversneeds orders
- Add a table runner to my orderneeds orders
- Full
Courier desk (companion phone)
2 of 2 open
- delivery
- Wrong colour receivedneeds returns(skill mismatch)
- Return pickup time?needs returns(skill mismatch)
Waiting · 0
- Nobody waiting: every conversation found an agent.
| Strategy | Routed | Waiting | Skill mismatches |
|---|---|---|---|
| Round-robin | 8 | 0 | 5 |
| Least busy | 8 | 0 | 5 |
| Skills-based | 8 | 0 | 0 |
Conversation 8 of 8, Return pickup time?: Round-robin: it is Courier desk (companion phone)’s turn in the rotation. Round-robin ignores skills: Courier desk (companion phone) doesn’t cover returns.
What is multi-device (linked devices)?
Multi-device, shown in the app as Linked devices, is the WhatsApp feature that lets one account be used on several devices at the same time. On the WhatsApp Business app, the main phone that registered the number can link up to four more devices: WhatsApp Web in a browser, the desktop app, or companion phones and tablets. Each linked device connects to WhatsApp on its own with its own end-to-end encryption keys, so it keeps sending and receiving even when the main phone is off or out of coverage.
For a small business it is the first step from one person on one phone to a team: a shop owner on the main phone, a counter assistant on WhatsApp Web, a delivery coordinator on a second phone, all answering the same number. Labels, quick replies, the catalogue and away messages are shared because they belong to the account rather than to a device.
What multi-device does not do is make the app a team tool. There are no separate agent logins, no way to assign a chat to one person, no internal notes, no record of which device replied and no reporting on response times. That is where a shared team inbox on the WhatsApp Business Platform takes over, either by moving the number to the Cloud API or by using Coexistence to keep the app while adding an API inbox. This page is about linked devices on the app; the broader app-versus-API choice is covered in WhatsApp Business App vs API.
Key takeaways
- Multi-device lets one WhatsApp Business app number run on the main phone plus up to four linked devices at once.
- Linked devices work without the main phone being online, but are logged out if the main phone is not used for about 14 days.
- Every linked device sees every chat: there is no assignment, no per-agent login and no record of who replied.
- It suits a small team of up to about five people; beyond that, or when you need routing and reporting, an API shared team inbox takes over.
- With Coexistence, the Business app keeps working alongside the Cloud API on the same number.
How does multi-device (linked devices) work?
Link a device
On the main phone open Settings, then Linked devices, then Link a device, and scan the QR code shown on WhatsApp Web, the desktop app or the companion phone. A companion phone can also link with a code instead of a QR scan.
Each device syncs and runs independently
Recent chat history is copied to the new device, which then holds its own encryption keys and connects directly. Messages arrive on all devices at once, and replies from any device appear on all of them.
Keep the main phone active
If the main phone is not used for about 14 days, linked devices are logged out. The main phone also remains the place to change the number, the business profile and account settings.
Manage and revoke access
The Linked devices screen on the main phone lists each device with its last active time. Log out any device you do not recognise and do so the day a team member leaves.
Know when to move on
When you need more than five people, chat assignment, notes, analytics, chatbots or broadcasts, connect the number to an API platform, usually through Coexistence so the app keeps working.
Common mistakes with multi-device (linked devices)
Shared logins with no accountability
With linked devices you cannot tell who sent a reply. Agree a sign-off convention for now, and move to an inbox with per-agent logins when accountability matters.
Forgetting to log out leavers
A former employee's laptop can stay linked and read every new message. Review Linked devices weekly and log out any device the moment its user leaves.
Letting the main phone sit in a drawer
If the main phone goes unused for about two weeks, every linked device is logged out, often on a busy day. Open WhatsApp on the main phone regularly.
Expecting the API to have linked devices
A number registered only on the Cloud API has no app and no linked devices; teams work through the platform's inbox instead. If staff still want the app, use Coexistence rather than moving the number outright.
Example: A Jaipur handicrafts shop outgrows four devices
A Jaipur handicrafts shop answers enquiries on one Business app number from the owner's phone, two WhatsApp Web sessions at the packing counter and a companion phone for the courier coordinator. It works until the festive season, when three people reply to the same buyer with different prices and some chats go unanswered overnight. The shop connects the number through Coexistence to a shared team inbox: chats are assigned to one agent each, an away message runs after hours, and the owner still replies from the app when needed. The linked devices it no longer needs are logged out.
Why does multi-device (linked devices) matter?
Many Indian small businesses run WhatsApp sales and support from a single shared number, and linked devices are what make that possible without passing one phone around. Understanding the limits matters just as much: when two people answer the same customer, when nobody answers because everyone assumed someone else would, or when an employee leaves with a linked laptop still logged in, the problem is not the staff but the tool. Knowing when four devices stop being enough is the moment to plan the move to an API inbox.
Best practices for multi-device (linked devices)
- Name each linked browser or laptop by its desk or role so the device list stays readable.
- Use labels such as New lead, Paid and Dispatched so everyone on linked devices sees chat status.
- Turn on two-step verification in the app so the number cannot be re-registered on another phone.