You can access WhatsApp on both your phone and your computer. You can use WhatsApp on your computer in two ways:
- WhatsApp Desktop: An app that you can download.
- WhatsApp Web: A browser-based version of WhatsApp.
WhatsApp Web and WhatsApp Desktop are computer-based extensions of the WhatsApp account on your phone. The messages you send and receive are fully synced between your phone and your computer, and you can see all messages on both devices. Any action you take on the phone will apply to WhatsApp on your computer and vice versa.
To install WhatsApp Desktop
Go to https://www.whatsapp.com/download from your computer’s browser or download it from Apple App Store. WhatsApp can only be installed on your computer if your operating system is Windows 8 (or newer) or Mac OSX 10.9 (or newer). Since WhatsApp Desktop runs natively on your desktop, you’ll have support for native desktop notifications, better keyboard shortcuts and more. If your operating system isn’t supported, you may use WhatsApp on your browser instead.
For more information regarding installing WhatsApp on your computer, please read this article.
To access WhatsApp Web
Open https://web.whatsapp.com in your Chrome, Firefox, Opera, Safari or Edge browser and scan the QR code by using the WhatsApp app on your phone. Due to browser limitations, some features may be missing on WhatsApp Web.
More Information on WhatsApp Desktop and Web
WhatsApp initially generated revenue by charging for downloads — a one-time fee of $.99 for iPhone users and an annual $.99 charge for Android users. However, WhatsApp hit the big payday in 2014 when Facebook acquired it for $19 billion, and the company did away with fees. In February 2016, WhatsApp announced that a billion people were using the messaging platform.
WhatsApp offers some fun features that make it worthwhile to experiment with. WhatsApp Desktop allows you to browse your hard drive for photos, videos, and documents that you can send right in the chat interface. Make sure the receiver is using the latest version of WhatsApp Desktop to ensure the most recent features are enabled.
If your computer has a webcam, you can access it directly in the interface to take a photo that you can send via chat. Another feature unique to WhatsApp Desktop is voice-recorded messages. Start a recording by clicking on the microphone on the bottom right of the interface, and record a verbal message.
Additionally, given WhatsApp’s huge user base, you probably already have friends who use the service, so you can start interacting and chatting right away.
You can also check out more information about WhatsApp
Limitations
While WhatsApp Web and WhatsApp Desktop are convenient to use while you’re on your computer and enable you to chat comfortably using your keyboard, there are some limitations. Several features available on your mobile device are not available on your computer.
For instance, with WhatsApp Desktop, you don’t have the option to invite people from your address book to join WhatsApp. You also can’t share your location or a map, which are two key features in the mobile version.
You must have WhatsApp installed on your phone to use the WhatsApp Web and WhatsApp Desktop clients. The application syncs directly with your mobile device, so a Wi-Fi connection is necessary to avoid racking up data charges.
Also, you can have either WhatsApp Web or WhatsApp Desktop open at any given time — not both; having both open automatically shuts down the program not being used.
For more information regarding using WhatsApp Web, please read this article.
