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How to Run Two Accounts of a Messaging App on One Phone (Dual Apps)

Tap through the steps to see how to run two accounts of the same messaging app side by side on one phone.

  1. Find your phone's dual apps setting

    On Android, look for it under a name like "Dual Messenger," "Parallel Space," "App Cloner," or "Dual Apps" depending on the manufacturer — usually under Settings > Advanced Features or Apps.

  2. Turn on the toggle for your messaging app

    Find your messaging app, like WhatsApp, in the supported list and switch it on — a cloned second icon is created automatically.

  3. Log into a second account from the cloned icon

    Open the new duplicate icon on your home screen and sign in with a different account than the one already logged into the original app.

  4. Use each icon for a separate account

    Tap the original icon for one account and the cloned icon for the other, letting you stay logged into both at once without switching back and forth.

  5. iPhone doesn't support this natively

    iOS doesn't have a built-in dual-app feature like Android does, so most iPhone users instead use a second device, or a separate work profile if their employer provides one, to run a second account.

Useful for keeping work and personal separate

If you've been logging in and out of the same messaging app to switch between a personal and a work account, a dual-app feature lets you keep both logged in at once, distinguished only by icon, without any of the back-and-forth.

You'll need a second account first

This feature only clones the app, not the account — if you don't already have a separate account for the second use case, you'll need to create one with a different phone number or email before setting up the clone.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does every phone support this feature?

Most recent Android phones from major manufacturers offer some version of it, though the exact menu name and location differs by brand.

Can iPhone users run two accounts of the same app?

iOS doesn't support native app cloning, so iPhone users typically need a second device, like a spare phone or tablet, to run a second account of the same app.