WhatsApp tests watchOS companion app via TestFlight

WhatsApp has begun testing a dedicated Apple Watch app, releasing a TestFlight beta of a watchOS companion tied to the iOS beta 25.32.10.71. The move lets enrolled beta testers read, reply to and react to WhatsApp messages from their wrist, but the app is not yet publicly available and still requires a paired iPhone with WhatsApp installed to function.

The beta app extends WhatsApp functionality beyond simple notification replies. On the Apple Watch users can open recent chats, view media, send new messages and voice notes, react with emojis, and dictate text by voice. The app also exposes pinned chats and disappearing messages through watchOS integration, offering faster access to conversations than the limited built-in notification handling that Apple Watch users previously had for WhatsApp.

Because the watch app acts as a companion rather than a standalone client, the Apple Watch must remain connected to an iPhone running the iOS version of WhatsApp for the features to work. That mirrors the approach used by many mobile companion apps and contrasts with fully independent smartwatch apps that can operate without a phone nearby.

WhatsApp’s testing follows the platform’s recent...