WhatsApp Web Brings Popular Messaging App to Your Desktop

Now, access WhatsApp on your desktop browser 

 WhatsApp Web Brings Popular Messaging App to Your Desktop

p announced the launch of WhatsApp Web on Wednesday, marking the official debut of the popular messaging app on non-mobile platforms.

"Today, for the first time, millions of you will have the ability to use WhatsApp on your Web browser," the messaging app said announcing WhatsApp Web via a blog post. "Our Web client is simply an extension of your phone: the Web browser mirrors conversations and messages from your mobile device - this means all of your messages still live on your phone."

( Also see: WhatsApp Web Feels Like a Hack But Works Surprisingly Well )

WhatsApp has become ridiculously popular around the world, with over 700 million monthly active users, and while we've come to rely on the app as much as the next person, we've never liked the fact it can be accessed only on the phone. Yes, there aresome workarounds for getting WhatsApp on a PC, but if, like us, you hate shuffling between the mobile and PC at work just to be able to use WhatsApp, WhatsApp Web will be music to your ears.

Simply head over to WhatsApp Web and as long as you are using Google Chrome, you'll be given a chance to scan a QR code on the desktop screen via the WhatsApp app on your mobile. Make sure you are using the latest version of WhatsApp on Android, Windows Phone, or BlackBerry. If you are using WhatsApp on iPhone or wish to use a browser other than Chrome on your desktop, you are out of luck.

( Also see: How to use WhatsApp Web )

WhatsApp Web Feels Like a Hack But Works Surprisingly Well

 

WhatsApp announced the launch of WhatsApp Web on Wednesday, finally enabling the use of the popular messaging app on desktop computers. While the solution isn't cross-platform and feels like a hack at first glance, it works surprisingly well. We managed to get our hands on the updated Android app that comes with WhatsApp Web support, and here are our initial thoughts.

The first step towards getting WhatsApp working inside your browser is to get the latest version of WhatsApp for Android, BlackBerry, Nokia S60, or Windows Phone (sorry iPhone users) that comes with support for WhatsApp Web. Look for the WhatsApp Web option in the respective apps before proceeding further - the WhatsApp Web website tells you where to find the option inside each app. Android users, make sure you are running version 2.11.498 or later. To check what version of WhatsApp you are on, open the app, go to the menu (three dots) ->Settings ->Help ->About.

Next, open the WhatsApp Web website on your desktop in Google Chrome. This is important as there's no standalone desktop app for WhatsApp and WhatsApp Web will not work in any other browser like Safari, Firefox, or Internet Explorer. Once the WhatsApp Web page finishes loading, you will see a QR code on the top left part of the screen. Now fire up WhatsApp on your mobile phone and select WhatsApp Web from the menu (three dots).

Align the QR code with your phone's camera and, almost instantly, you'll find yourself staring at your recent WhatsApp conversations inside Chrome on the desktop. For those wondering, the QR code generated each time is unique, and by scanning it with your phone, you are associating the current WhatsApp Web session with the one on the phone you are logged into WhatsApp from. Your phone reads the QR code and transmits the session ID and other associated information to WhatsApp servers, which then establish the pairing between your phone and the WhatsApp Web session. This is as elegant a solution as you can have for a service that has no username/ passwords, without resorting to things like one-time passwords or manual input of secure tokens. Have we finally found a use for QR codes?

The WhatsApp Web UI will look familiar to all WhatsApp users. You can of course joining existing conversations (including groups) or initiate new ones. Features like delivery and read receipts are supported, and you can also share pictures (stored on your computer, or by clicking a fresh one using your webcam) as well as voice messages without needing to touch your phone. Everything worked as expected during our testing.

( Also see: WhatSim Lets You Use WhatsApp for Free While Roaming Worldwide )

One thing worth noting is that WhatsApp Web uses your phone's Internet connection to send and receive your messages, so your mobile needs to be connected to the Internet throughout, either via Wi-Fi or cellular data. In that sense, WhatsApp Web is different from other messaging apps like Skype and Viber where every device has its own connection to the servers. This is an example of WhatsApp keeping it 'mobile first', which may not appeal to everyone, but is central to WhatsApp's philosophy.

You can initiate WhatsApp Web sessions from multiple computers, but only one can be active at a time - you'll be given an option to wrest control from another session. WhatsApp takes care of the security aspect by listing how many WhatsApp Web sessions are connected at any given time, and by letting you log out of all in one click via the mobile app.

Overall, while WhatsApp Web may seem like a hack at first - what with its use of QR codes and everything else - if offers everything you'll need for a complete(ish) WhatsApp experience on the desktop, as long as your definition of desktop is Google Chrome. Now there's no real reason for us to ignore those lovely WhatsApp forwards while working, except of course the fact it doesn't work with the iPhone. If you are a fellow iPhone user, don't hold your breath, as WhatsApp co-founder and CEO Jan Koumsays, "for now, we will not be able to provide Web client to our iOS users due to Apple platform limitations."

We can feel our hatred for QR codes coming back.

At the time of filing this report, the version of WhatsApp for Android that supports this feature was still in the process of being rolled out, so it's possible you may have to wait a while to get your hands on this feature. If you are amongst the lucky few who've been able to get in, let us know your experience with WhatsApp Web so far via the comments.