WhatsApp on iPhone may soon show which Apple Watch is connected: What it means for users
Meta is testing a new transparency feature for WhatsApp on iPhone. This feature will explicitly display when an Apple Watch is paired to a user's account, addressing potential security concerns introduced by the messaging app's recent expansion to watchOS. The feature, spotted in WhatsApp beta build 25.37.10.71 on TestFlight by WABetaInfo, adds a new "Peripherals" section to the app's "Linked Devices" interface. This enhancement comes in response to security risks where accounts could be secretly paired with a partner's or unauthorised person's Apple Watch. This feature can remove any particular concern in abusive relationships where technology is often used for surveillance and control.
WhatsApp testing Peripherals section on iPhone: How it may work
The new peripherals category is similar to the already available 'Linked Devices' section meant for other connected devices. This section displays the name of any associated Apple Watch along with the date and time it was last active. This will gives users visibility into which wearable devices have access to their WhatsApp messages and conversations.
However, the feature currently has a significant limitation. Unlike other linked devices such as Mac computers or WhatsApp Web sessions, users cannot remotely unlink a paired Apple Watch directly from the iPhone app's settings. Instead, the app instructs users they must physically delete WhatsApp from the Apple Watch itself to unpair the device. This is a major restriction that could hinder users trying to remove unauthorised access without physical possession of the Watch.
The update arrives just weeks after WhatsApp launched its native Apple Watch app, expanding the messaging platform's reach to wearable devices. Beyond these security enhancements for linked devices, Meta is also developing improvements to WhatsApp's chat, attachment, and storage management interfaces, according to the beta testing reports.
WhatsApp on iPhone may also get a Clear Chat feature
Shortly after launching TestFlight build 25.37.10.71, Meta has rolled out another beta version featuring a new tool aimed at making chat management and storage cleanup easier.
According to WABetaInfo's findings, the newer build 25.37.10.72 adds
The tool offers a more organized approach to managing conversation storage, allowing users to delete all messages within a chat, remove everything except starred messages, or eliminate media files. The interface also displays the storage space occupied by each category.
By tapping
, users gain access to granular controls for selecting which types of content to remove—including documents, photos, videos, stickers, and audio files—before finalizing the deletion.
Users can also opt to wipe all media content in one action, which includes media that has been starred.
Neither feature has a confirmed release date, though the storage clearing tool's appearance in the Android beta suggests its public launch may be approaching relatively soon
WhatsApp testing Peripherals section on iPhone: How it may work
The new peripherals category is similar to the already available 'Linked Devices' section meant for other connected devices. This section displays the name of any associated Apple Watch along with the date and time it was last active. This will gives users visibility into which wearable devices have access to their WhatsApp messages and conversations.
However, the feature currently has a significant limitation. Unlike other linked devices such as Mac computers or WhatsApp Web sessions, users cannot remotely unlink a paired Apple Watch directly from the iPhone app's settings. Instead, the app instructs users they must physically delete WhatsApp from the Apple Watch itself to unpair the device. This is a major restriction that could hinder users trying to remove unauthorised access without physical possession of the Watch.
The update arrives just weeks after WhatsApp launched its native Apple Watch app, expanding the messaging platform's reach to wearable devices. Beyond these security enhancements for linked devices, Meta is also developing improvements to WhatsApp's chat, attachment, and storage management interfaces, according to the beta testing reports.
WhatsApp on iPhone may also get a Clear Chat feature
Shortly after launching TestFlight build 25.37.10.71, Meta has rolled out another beta version featuring a new tool aimed at making chat management and storage cleanup easier.
According to WABetaInfo's findings, the newer build 25.37.10.72 adds
The tool offers a more organized approach to managing conversation storage, allowing users to delete all messages within a chat, remove everything except starred messages, or eliminate media files. The interface also displays the storage space occupied by each category.
By tapping
, users gain access to granular controls for selecting which types of content to remove—including documents, photos, videos, stickers, and audio files—before finalizing the deletion.
Users can also opt to wipe all media content in one action, which includes media that has been starred.
Neither feature has a confirmed release date, though the storage clearing tool's appearance in the Android beta suggests its public launch may be approaching relatively soon
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