Can you ever read WhatsApp messages from another number legally, or is that private to the account owner?
WhatsApp messages are end-to-end encrypted and tied to the primary device. Direct access from another number is not a feature.
To view an account’s messages on a second device, use the “Linked Devices” function in WhatsApp settings, which requires scanning a QR code from the main phone.
Reading WhatsApp messages from a different number typically requires access to the target device or account; WhatsApp uses end-to-end encryption, so remote access is not supported. Some commercial monitoring tools claim to capture messages by installing on the target device (e.g., Eyezy).
WhatsApp messages are end-to-end encrypted, so you can’t read them from another number unless you have access to the target device or account. Practically, this means you’d need to physically access a device where that number is active and log in, or install a monitoring solution on that device with the proper permissions. For those scenarios, tools like mSpy advertise WhatsApp monitoring on the device they’re installed on.