How to Duplicate Applications on Android to have Several Sessions Open

You may have needed to use two WhatsApp accounts on the same mobile, or you simply want to have two instances of the same app installed on your device . Until not too long ago, it was not possible - or at least not easily - to carry out this task, but over time they have been bequeathing solutions and tools that allow you to duplicate any application in a simple way, and use each of the apps as if they were totally different.

Some manufacturers have even included in the software of their devices the possibility of duplicating applications. In this guide, we explain how to do it step by step , either through third-party applications or through the tools included in the devices themselves.

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Duplicate apps on Android: the best options

Parallel Space

One of the most popular tools for creating parallel applications is "Parallel Space" . It allows you to manage several accounts of the same app on a device, and customize the appearance of duplicate apps to be able to differentiate the original from the clone.

Parallel Space allows you to create parallel applications from several different apps, including some popular ones like WhatsApp, Telegram or Instagram. To do this, you only have to open the app, grant the necessary permissions and mark that app you want to clone.

Once the cloning process is finished, the application allows you to log in to the secondary app , and customize various aspects as well as configure its operation.

Cloner App

Another application, something less known but as useful as Parallel Space is App Cloner. At the end of 2018, the application was removed from Google Play for, allegedly, violating the policies of the Google application store, and despite the developer's appeal, Google continues without allowing its publication in the Play Store. Despite this, the app is still maintained by its developer and receives updates frequently.

Like most apps of this style, App Cloner allows you to create independent copies of specific applications , to later be installed as isolated instances. Keep in mind that not all apps can be cloned, although some of the most popular such as Facebook messaging services or some social networks do.

When you open the app for the first time, the complete list of apps installed on the device will appear. By clicking on one of them, you can clone the application, modifying certain parameters such as the number of clones that you want to create , and the name of the copy to be generated.

Island

The last of the options that we propose to duplicate apps on Android is Island . This is one of the latest creations of the developer of the famous Greenify battery saving tool. Although its functions go further, Island includes the possibility of creating clones of apps to run two sessions of the same application simultaneously.

The main difference of Island with respect to the other tools already mentioned, is that this app creates a workspace where applications that have been cloned will be installed and executed , so it is the ideal option for those who intend to have several instances of an app, one for work and another for personal terrain.

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Duplicate apps without installing applications

OnePlus phones

OnePlus mobiles with recent versions of OxygenOS offer the possibility of creating duplicate applications. In this case, yes, it is only possible to create “doubles” of some apps, such as WhatsApp, Telegram, Twitter or Instagram. To do so, just follow these steps:

1. Open the system settings and go to the "Utilities" section.
2. Enter the category of "parallel applications".
3. Activate the option corresponding to the application you want to duplicate.

In this way, the parallel application will appear in the application drawer of the home screen , with a small orange symbol next to the app icon.

Huawei phones

In the case of Huawei terminals with EMUI , it will also be possible to duplicate applications installed on the device. The function that allows to carry out this process is called “App Twin” or “Twin application” , and its operation, like that of the other systems, offers the possibility of creating parallel sessions of the same app. Just follow these steps:

1. Open the system settings.
2. Look for the "App Twin" option.
3. Turn on the switch of those apps you want to clone.

With these three simple steps, the icon of the application that has just been duplicated will appear on the home screen , and it will be possible to log in with an alternative account to the one associated with the original app, or use this “clone” as an app totally different.

Samsung phones

In the case of Samsung mobile phones , the option to duplicate apps is somewhat different. The function is included in the terminal software under the name "Dual Messenger" , and as its name suggests it is intended to create parallel applications of apps and messaging services, so the possibilities are somewhat limited with respect to other solutions We have already seen. Be that as it may, if duplicating messaging apps is all you need, these are the steps you should follow on your Samsung:

1. Open the system settings and look for the "Advanced settings" section.
2. Look for the "Dual Messenger" option.
3. Turn on the switch of those apps you want to clone.

As in the case of EMUI, the duplicate app will now be displayed on the home screen , with an indicator that differs from the original version.

Xiaomi phones

Since MIUI 8, Xiaomi offers the owners of its terminals the possibility of cloning applications . The operation of this tool is extremely simple, and as in the rest of the customization layers, you will only have to activate a simple option to be able to create new instances of the same application installed in the system:

1. Open the system settings and look for the "Cloned Apps" section in the "Device" section.
2. Turn on the switch of those apps you want to duplicate.

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These are the best ways to clone or duplicate applications on Android. As you can see, it doesn't matter if your mobile has this option built into its software or not , because there are tools that allow you to do it in a simple way, and in some cases they give you the possibility to modify and customize some aspects that the native tools do not allow.