WhatsApp's teaser for its native iPad app hints something is cooking

It has been 16 years since WhatsApp arrived in the tech space, starting with the iPhone. The instant messaging app has added support for several other platforms and launched countless features over the years. However, one thing it still doesn't have is an iPad app.

WhatsApp dropped a small teaser about its iPad app on the social media platform X. Out of nowhere, WhatsApp replied with the "eyes" emoji to a post made by a user more than a month ago.

It's still hard to say if the eyes emoji suggests an immediate launch of WhatsApp for iPad. The Meta-owned company has tested WhatsApp's iPad version in Apple's TestFlight for almost two years. While the program no longer takes new beta testers, users have tossed around its link on social media platforms like Reddit.

WhatsApp's lack of an iPad app is even more surprising because it already has a native app for the ARM-powered Mac. For the uninitiated, Apple ditched Intel in 2020 and transitioned to its home-baked silicon.

Furthermore, the iPad single-handedly represents Apple in the tablet world, competing against Android devices from multiple brands. Data from StatCounter suggests that Apple sweeps almost half the global tablet market share.

The teaser comes not long after reports of a native Instagram app for iPad in the making. Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri previously said the lack of a large enough user base is why a native Instagram app couldn't happen.

In WhatsApp's case, the instant messaging platform started with a single-device focus and tied user accounts to their phone numbers. It was only in recent years that WhatsApp added features like multi-device support, companion devices, and the ability to transfer WhatsApp chats across platforms. You can also link your email address to WhatsApp for two-factor authentication and re-registration.

Meta has more reasons than before to bring its social apps to the iPad. Its rival, Snapchat, launched a native app for iPad in 2024, almost 13 years after the app arrived on iPhone. While an iPad app is still on the way, you can use the instant messaging app on iPad via WhatsApp Web.