WhatsApp standalone desktop app for Windows now available, macOS version coming soon
The WhatsApp messaging service now has a completely standalone app for Windows PCs, with a macOS app coming soon too.
Before this, desktop WhatsApp use was either webapp-based or browser based. With the new app, however, a native desktop version of WhatsApp is available to users for the first time. The advantages of this, according to the official support article detailing the release of the app, are increased reliability and speed, being designed and optimized for a desktop operating system, and the ability to continue receiving notifications and messages even when your phone is offline.
In order to set up the currently available WhatsApp for Windows, you must do the following:
- Open WhatsApp on your phone.
- Tap More options on Android or Settings on iPhone.
- Tap Linked Devices.
- Point your phone camera to the QR code that appears on your WhatsApp Desktop App.
The macOS desktop app is currently being developed, with no timetable for release currently disclosed. It's available via the beta program at Apple Testflight. In the meantime, other WhatsApp users with Macs can continue to use the web version.
WhatsApp for Windows is now available in the Microsoft Store.
Further coverage: WhatsApp Help Center gHacks The Verge
- Instant Messenger
- Free • Proprietary