The problem with going down this route is the operator will cancel the SIM if you don’t regularly top it up – usually within a six-month period. There are a few other ways to get a second phone number, the easiest of which is going to be taking advantage of a free PAYG SIM offer, such as that currently offered by all the big UK mobile operators, including And whileĭual-SIM phones are increasingly popular in the UK, we’re certainly not at the stage where most people are using separate numbers for work and play, or home and abroad. If you intend using your mobile number on another WhatsApp account on your smartphone, you’re going to need a separate number for the account on the tablet.

When prompted to verify that number choose Call me, then enter the six-digit verification number you are told over the phone.

Once installed you will see the usual WhatsApp setup process, which will require you to enter a phone number.

Once downloaded you’ll see a notification appear at the top of the screen – tap this to begin installation.

Select a site from which to download your APK file, then click through any prompts to download the file.

You should see results from the likes of APKMirror and APKPure.Exit the Settings menu and launch Chrome.Ensure whatever browser you are using (most likely Chrome) is marked as enabled – tap it, then slide the toggle to on.Scroll down to and select Install unknown apps.Open Settings > Apps & notifications > Advanced > Special app access.How to install WhatsApp on an Android tablet If you’re now thinking better of it, see our advice on If you decide to plough on ahead anyway, we’ll walk you through the process of sideloading WhatsApp on to a tablet and suggest some solutions for obtaining that second phone number. If you intend to use WhatsApp only on your tablet and not on your smartphone then that last point is moot, but if what you actually want is to access your WhatsApp account on both phone and tablet then an infinitely better solution is to use WhatsApp Web.

To create a second account you need a second phone number, which most people won’t have, and then once set up your contacts won’t know through which account to contact you. But the main reason we wouldn’t recommend installing WhatsApp on your tablet is that you cannot use the same account as you do on your phone. So the process is not in itself difficult. You’ll have to allow your tablet the right to install apps from outside Google Play, and the app should then install exactly as it would on a phone. To install WhatsApp on a tablet, then, you simply need to source the WhatsApp APK file from the internet.

Whatsapp not installing from play store