WhatsApp Web on Windows

WhatsApp Web lets you use WhatsApp on a Windows PC straight from a browser, with no download needed. You open web.whatsapp.com, link it to the app on your phone and keep chatting on a big screen; if you prefer a separate program, WhatsApp also offers a desktop app for Windows.

Overview

WhatsApp is built around your phone number, and the phone remains the main device of the account. WhatsApp Web is a linked companion: once connected, it shows your chats in the browser, lets you type with a real keyboard, send photos and documents from the computer and read messages while you work. Chats stay in sync, so a message you answer on the PC appears as read on the phone too. That makes it handy for people who spend the day at a desk, for sending files that live on the computer, and for small businesses answering customers. The service keeps adding features; the WhatsApp blog, for example, announced calling from the web version together with other updates. Because it runs in a browser, there is nothing to install, which also makes it useful on a work PC where you cannot add programs.

How to use WhatsApp Web

1. On the computer, open web.whatsapp.com in your browser; a QR code appears.
2. On the phone, open WhatsApp, go to Linked devices and choose Link a device.
3. Scan the QR code with the phone's camera.
4. Your chats load in the browser; keep the tab open to receive messages.

Web or desktop app?

The web version is quickest when you need WhatsApp occasionally or on a shared computer. If you use it all day, the desktop app for Windows is more convenient: it runs in its own window and sends notifications even when the browser is closed. You can get it from the official WhatsApp desktop download page.

Requirements

You need an active WhatsApp account on a phone and a current browser on Windows. There is no separate installer or size to worry about for the web version.

Safety tips

• Always check the address: the real site is web.whatsapp.com.
• On a shared or public PC, log out when you finish, or unlink the device from the phone.
• Review the list of linked devices on your phone and remove any you do not recognise.
• Turn on two-step verification in WhatsApp's settings.

Price

WhatsApp Web is free, like WhatsApp itself.

Pros and cons

• Pro: nothing to install.
• Pro: full keyboard and easy file sharing from the PC.
• Pro: chats stay in sync with the phone.
• Con: the tab must stay open for messages to arrive.
• Con: needs a WhatsApp account on a phone first.

Alternatives

Other messengers for Windows in our listings include Telegram, Viber and Signal. The WhatsApp blog post on web calling covers recent additions, and whatsapp.com has the full list of apps.