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Trying to figure out a way to access WhatsApp messages online? A few years ago, this would have sounded like the ramblings of a drunkard, but it is very possible in the world today.
You can check WhatsApp online using a web browser or your desktop. This is perfect for anyone who wants to ensure that they keep receiving messages while away from their phone.
Why You Might Need to Check WhatsApp Online
One of the prime reasons to want to view WhatsApp messages online is because you can’t access your phone now.
This could be because you’re charging your phone, or because you aren’t allowed to use a mobile phone where you are.
This is a problem that affects university and high school students all over the world. Using a service to read WhatsApp messages on your computer is your way around a rule that makes no sense at all.
Other reasons include having left your phone at home because you were in a hurry to get to work in the morning, or because you didn’t have the time to charge it, and you now must limit how much you turn that display on in a last-ditch attempt to conserve your battery.
If you’re at work and you want to ensure that you keep receiving your messages throughout the course of the day, whether for entertainment or because you have some important messages you are waiting for, using one of the methods to access and even reply to your WhatsApp messages online will serve you well.
So how exactly would one go about accessing the wonderful world that WhatsApp has on offer, without the encumbrance of a phone?
WhatsApp Web is the Best Way to Check WhatsApp Online
Developed by WhatsApp itself, WhatsApp Web is the official answer to the dilemma of checking your messages on your computer or browser.
It acts as a mirror of your phone’s WhatsApp application, which means that it takes all your messages from your phone and displays it in a neat interface on your laptop.
The way a mirror works is that your phone needs to be able to actively send and receive texts on WhatsApp for your web application to do the same through it. Here’s how you can use WhatsApp Web on your browser:
- Open your browser. You can use any compatible browser such as Opera, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Safari on your Mac, and even Microsoft Edge for Windows 10.
- Head over to https://web.whatsapp.com
- As soon as the page loads, a QR code is going to appear in your browser. This is a big square with what looks like a barcode inside it. This is what you will use to pair your phone with the application.
The next steps happen with your phone and your computer at the same time. You will need a phone that has the latest version of WhatsApp installed on it.
Compatible models of operating systems include Android, iOS 8.1 and above, Windows Phone 8.0, 8.1 and 10, Nokia S60 and S40, Blackberry and Blackberry 10.
Any older versions of the operating system will not support the use of the web application.
You are going to need:
- An activated WhatsApp account on your mobile phone – you need to already have connected your phone number to WhatsApp by installing it on your phone and setting it up.
- A stable internet connection – both your phone and your laptop/computer need to be on a network. The network doesn’t have to be the same for both devices. If you can access the internet on both, you can access WhatsApp messages online.
- A fully updated phone and browser – the browser you’re using WhatsApp web on needs to be fully updated to the latest version, as does the version of WhatsApp on your phone.
Here’s how you can set your phone up to work with the web application that is now open on your browser:
- Open WhatsApp on your phone
- Go to the WhatsApp Web setup page
- For Android devices go to your chat list, click the button with three dots on the upper right hand corner of the window, and select WhatsApp Web.
- For iOS, go to Settings and then to WhatsApp Web
- For Windows Phone and Nokia, go to Menu and then WhatsApp Web
- A scanner will activate. Hold the camera to the QR code displayed on your browser.
An instant later, your WhatsApp messages will appear on the browser window. The interface will look exactly like the actual application on your phone.
You can reply to messages, take pictures with your webcam, record audio and send files in the same way as your phone can. Make sure both devices are connected to the internet at all times!
Alternatives to the Browser Application
You don’t have to open a browser every single time you want to view WhatsApp messages online. You can also download the WhatsApp client for your desktop! All you will need is a Windows PC or a Mac OS X computer.
- Visit https://www.whatsapp.com/download
- Download the application that is made for your OS
- Launch the application setup file that you just downloaded
- Scan the code that appears in the same way you did the web application
Note – You can’t use this application if you are running a Linux system like Ubuntu!
Additional Settings on WhatsApp Web
- Desktop notifications – set it to notify you with a popup when you get a message on your WhatsApp, with a quick preview of the message. You can enable a notification sound or simply the little notification itself.
- Muting – you can right click on any chat to mute its notifications. Alternatively, you can navigate to the Settings on the web client and turn off Notifications for a set amount of time.
- Chat Wallpaper – You can change the background of the chats in your web client to a different solid color. Unfortunately, you can’t use a picture of your own right now.
Common Problems with Setup
- QR Code doesn’t scan – Try reloading the web page on your browser and reopening WhatsApp on your phone
- Messages don’t send/deliver – Make sure your internet connection for the phone and the laptop is stable
- Battery Low Notification – Charge your phone to keep using WhatsApp web!
There you have it! That is how you use WhatsApp on your computer to make your life a lot easier while on the go, at school or at work.
When you are done with your session, make sure you go to your settings on your phone like you did when you set up WhatsApp Web, and log out of all your sessions.
If you don’t, anyone who visits the page on your computer will be able to read WhatsApp messages online and even reply to them on your account.
If you have any suggestions as to how you can use WhatsApp on your desktop or PC using a different application, or if you have some helpful tips and tricks, be sure to leave a comment right here telling us how!
