WhatsApp launched its watchOS app earlier this year, letting users read, reply, and react to messages on their Apple Watch. Soon after, the watch app received a major update that added support for longer messages, voice notes, call notifications, chat history, and more. Now, the company is prepping a new feature that will let iPhone users easily monitor their connected Apple Watch on their phones.
According to WABetaInfo, the latest WhatsApp beta for iOS introduces a new section for connected peripherals in the Linked devices settings. When an Apple Watch is connected, it appears in this section with details like device name and connection status. Tapping the watch opens a Device Info page with the same details and instructions on how to unpair the watch.
There isn’t a dedicated unpair button, so users currently have to delete WhatsApp from their Apple Watch to unpair. This seems like an oversight, as it leaves no way for users to unpair their watch in case it’s lost or stolen.
The new Peripherals section is already live for some users
WABetaInfo says this section is rolling out to some users in WhatsApp beta version 25.37.10.71, but it’s available on at least one of our devices running the latest stable release (version 2.25.37.76). This suggests that the feature is gradually rolling out to users on the beta and stable channels, and should reach everyone over the coming days. WhatsApp could add a dedicated unpair button to the section by the time the feature is widely available.
Although a minor change, the new Peripherals section should give users an easier way to see which devices have access to their account. Additionally, the Device status section will help them check when their Apple Watch last synced messages, which could help diagnose issues if messages don’t show up on their watch.