With over an estimated two billion users globally, WhatsApp is one of the biggest messaging apps around and offers an easy way to keep in touch with loved ones.
Although it’s mainly known for its smartphone app, you can use your Windows computer or Mac to communicate through WhatsApp. In fact, there are a few ways to use Whatsapp on a Mac, with options to either access the platform via a web browser or through a dedicated app.
We’ll detail the steps for both below, as while the former offers more flexibility, WhatsApp promises that its native Mac app offers increased performance and reliability.
Keep reading to learn how to use WhatsApp on a Mac.
What you’ll need:
- A Mac running on MacOS 11 or higher
- Your WhatsApp account logged into your Android or iOS smartphone
The short version:
- Visit web.whatsapp.com on your web browser
- Open the WhatsApp app on your smartphone
- Tap Settings (iPhone) or Menu (Android)
- Tap Linked devices
- Tap the green Link device button
- Point your phone camera to the QR code on your Mac’s screen
You can access WhatsApp Web on Chrome, Firefox, Microsoft Edge, Safari and Opera. Just make sure your browser is up to date.
Once you’ve opened the web page up, you’ll see a QR code which you’ll be scanning later.
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2Open the WhatsApp app on your smartphone
You can find this either on your Home Screen or in your App Library.
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3Tap Settings (iPhone) or Menu (Android)
If you’re using an iPhone then you’ll see the Settings icon at the bottom right of the screen. Or if you’re using an Android then you’ll see three dots at the top right corner of the screen.
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4Tap Linked devices
Tap on the Linked devices option.
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5Tap Link device
Tap the green Link device button towards the bottom of your screen.
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6Point your phone camera to the QR code on your Mac’s screen
You just need to point your phone camera at the QR code on your Mac’s screen (from the Whatsapp web page). You don’t need to click anything, just simply point and your phone will pick up the QR code and log you into WhatsApp automatically.
Troubleshooting
There are a couple of ways you can download the WhatsApp app. You can either search for it through your Mac’s App Store, or visit whatsapp.com/download on your web browser and click the green Download icon.
Once the app is downloaded, follow the above steps to link your WhatsApp to your Mac.
