WhatsApp Web and linked devices, explained for a business: how linking works, its limits, security habits, and why an AI agent on the official platform is not a linked device
Linked devices are how most small teams share a WhatsApp number today: the phone stays with the owner, a laptop at the counter shows the same chats. This explains what linking does, where it runs out, and how it differs from automation.
Quick answer
A linked device (WhatsApp Web, the desktop apps, a tablet) is a companion to the phone's account: it holds its own encryption keys, receives and sends messages, and works even when the phone is offline for a while. Each account can have up to four linked devices, they mirror the phone rather than give a team assignment or notes, and anyone who links one can read everything. Unofficial bots that connect this way are automating the consumer app, which WhatsApp's terms forbid, so those numbers get banned. An AI agent on the official WhatsApp Business Platform, which is how ReplyKit connects, is not a linked device at all: the number is registered to a business account on Meta's platform and the phone is not involved.
How linking works
From the phone, Settings, Linked devices, Link a device, then scan the code shown on web.whatsapp.com or the desktop app. The new device gets its own keys and receives messages encrypted for it, so the phone does not have to be online for every message. WhatsApp's Help Center covers the details. Chats sync both ways, but only recent history loads on a fresh link.
Limits and security
- Four linked devices per account, and one phone.
- Everything is visible. A linked device sees every chat. There is no per-person access.
- No assignment, notes or status. Two people replying from two laptops cannot see who is handling what. That is the gap a shared inbox fills.
- Review monthly. Log out devices you do not recognise. When a staff member leaves, log out their device the same day.
- Two-step verification on. It protects the account itself, which linked devices depend on.
Why unofficial bots use the same door, and why it fails
Some automation tools ask you to link them exactly like a laptop, by scanning a code from Linked Devices. From WhatsApp's side they look like a device that never sleeps and replies in under a second, all day. That is automation of the consumer app, forbidden by the consumer terms, and WhatsApp bans such numbers when it detects them. ReplyKit worked this way until September 2026 and retired it for that reason; the story is in why ReplyKit uses the official platform.
How an AI agent connects instead
On the official WhatsApp Business Platform the number is registered to a WhatsApp Business Account on Meta's servers. Software sends and receives through Meta's API; there is no phone, no code to scan and no device limit. In ReplyKit you sign in with your Facebook business account from the Agents page, pick or create the number, and the agent is live. The team then reads and replies from ReplyKit's inbox, from any browser, with assignment and notes, rather than from linked devices. A number in the WhatsApp Business app can stay there (Meta calls it coexistence); a personal WhatsApp number cannot be connected, so use a dedicated business number in that case.
Frequently asked questions
How many devices can I link to WhatsApp Business?
Up to four linked devices plus the phone.
Can staff reply from a laptop?
Yes, through WhatsApp Web or the desktop app as a linked device. They will see every chat and there is no assignment.
Is an AI agent a linked device?
Not on the official platform. ReplyKit's agent connects through Meta's WhatsApp Business Platform; the phone and Linked Devices screen are not involved.
Why do some bots ask me to scan a QR code?
They connect as a linked device to automate the consumer app, which breaks WhatsApp's terms and gets numbers banned. Avoid them.
Does the phone need to stay online for the agent?
No. On the platform the number lives on Meta's servers and the agent replies from ReplyKit's server.
An inbox instead of four laptops
The agent answers, the team works from one inbox, no linked devices needed. 7-day free trial.
Sources and further reading
ReplyKit is an independent product and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Meta or WhatsApp. This article is general guidance for running a small business, not legal, financial or regulatory advice.