Everything you need to know about WhatsApp Web

Martin Brinkmann
Jan 22, 2015
Updated • Nov 14, 2019
Internet
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24

WhatsApp is a popular messaging client for mobile devices including Google Android, iOS and Windows Phone.

The developers of the client have enabled WhatsApp Web yesterday which enables you to use the client on the Internet site.

This works by means of synchronization which means that you can only use the web interface if you have authorized it for the session using your phone.

This limits the service significantly and it is not the only limitation in place currently. When you visit the WhatsApp Web site in any browser but Google Chrome you receive the message that only Chrome is supported.

If you don't use Chrome and don't want or can install it on the computer you are working on, you cannot use WhatsApp Web at all.

How it works

Make sure that you are running the latest version of WhatsApp on your mobile device. On Android, WhatsApp Web is included in version 2.11.498 and up for example.

Update: WhatsApp Web is not added in that version but remotely from WhatsApp. This means that it will appear eventually if you cannot find the option right now on your device.

  1. Tap on the three dots in the upper right corner to display the main menu.
  2. There you should find the new WhatsApp Web option which you need to tap on.
  3. A short explanation of the feature is displayed the first time you use it.
  4. Visit the service website in Google Chrome.
  5. Use the QR Code scanner on the mobile device to scan the code displayed on the website.
  6. This syncs the phone's data with the website and displays your groups, chats and conversations on the site.

Use the following options if you are using a different phone operating system:

  • BlackBerry: Chats -> Menu-key -> WhatsApp Web.
  • Windows Phone, Nokia S60: Menu -> WhatsApp Web
  • iOS: not available currently.

A click on a conversation displays it in the main area on the right. There you can browse the message history including all media and post new messages right from the interface.

All controls, including voice messages and adding attachments are available on the web interface as well.

You can turn on desktop notifications in Chrome to receive notifications whenever new messages arrive, configure your profile and status, and create new chats.

WhatsApp on the mobile device displays all computers that you are logged in currently when you select the WhatsApp Web option again from the menu.

There you can also add links to other computer systems with a click on the plus icon.

The page displays information about the computer (last active and operating system), and comes with an option to log out if all computers at once.

end remote whatsapp session

Information are only updated on the web interface if your phone is connected to the Internet. You receive an error message on the website when that is not the case.

Phone not connected

Make sure your phone has an active Internet connection.

Information that were retrieved previously on the other hand remain available. When you reload the page, you receive another error message if your phone is not connected to the Internet.

Trying to reach phone

Make sure your phone has an active Internet connection.

The service retries to connect to the phone automatically and provides you with options to retry manually or log out of the session.

This means that you need to log out on the web or using your phone to remove all information on the web interface.

Closing Words

WhatsApp Web is severely limited right now. Not only is it only supporting Google Chrome on desktop systems, it is also not available for iOS and requires the phone to be connected to the Internet to work at all.

The only advantage you get from using it on the web is that you can use the computer's keyboard to write messages, work on a larger screen, and get desktop notifications so that you don't need to pay attention to your phone for that.

Now You: Have you used the new service already? What is your take on it.

WhatsApp

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Summary
Everything you need to know about WhatsApp Web
Article Name
Everything you need to know about WhatsApp Web
Description
WhatsApp Web is a web-based service that brings WhatsApp conversations to desktop systems.
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Comments

  1. Samir said on February 17, 2021 at 11:29 pm
    Reply

    For anyone reading this and still logged into whatsapp web via firefox 50/52, it will continue working until you log out. The 60+ force upgrade is just a push to make people not use firefox 50/52. I had a system that was logged in and working even after the 60+ requirement and it only stopped working when we lost power and the system rebooted.

  2. Muskan said on November 9, 2020 at 5:38 pm
    Reply

    Can someone read our old messages also when logged in Watsaap web ??
    After even logging out can someone have remain with our messages ?
    Can someone read our messages after even logging out ??

  3. Anonymous said on July 29, 2020 at 11:56 am
    Reply

    My chrome bounced out from my whats app messages and i cant get in back help!

  4. Mandy said on January 28, 2020 at 1:35 pm
    Reply

    Hi i have my boy friends watsap on chrome.seem to go bk to it. Wen i go to bookmarks. Its not opening the watsap asual. Please help me.

  5. Dee said on December 19, 2019 at 9:47 am
    Reply

    I enjoyed using the app but it only worked for some days , and I tried again it worked but after I closed the app , it disconnected asking me to scan again. Please help.

  6. hina saleemi said on January 19, 2018 at 10:20 am
    Reply

    is there an option to check that whatsapp of iphone was previously connected to which computers? even if you have loggedout of computers,

  7. Singh said on May 5, 2016 at 8:43 pm
    Reply

    I am using whatsapp web of gf whtsapp on my mobile phone. But it logout automatically after some days .
    Why ?
    Whats the reason behind this.? And i am also sure that she did’t log out manually form her phone .

    Please suggest me solution.

  8. Mak said on November 20, 2015 at 12:09 pm
    Reply

    When I am trying to load https://web.whatsapp.com I am getting message “Make sure your computer has an active internet connection”. My computer has an active internet connection.

    Why I am seeing this message ? What to do next?

  9. pen said on November 2, 2015 at 3:30 pm
    Reply

    if we open conversation and we want to back. whats is the key of ‘back’?

  10. Diego said on January 28, 2015 at 7:49 pm
    Reply

    Telegram is way ahead of WhatsApp. It has apps for multiple platforms (iOS, Android, web, desktop, etc.), the web version (https://web.telegram.org) works in any browser and doesn’t require the phone to be connected to the Internet.

  11. iron2000 said on January 23, 2015 at 2:24 am
    Reply

    You and pin it to the taskbar using Chrome application shortcuts.

    Go to the Chrome menu > More tools > Create application shortcuts…

  12. MIhnea said on January 22, 2015 at 7:31 pm
    Reply

    hi
    for desktop ..Viber ( the best ) :)

  13. B. Moore said on January 22, 2015 at 6:12 pm
    Reply

    It sure would be nice if you didn’t need a phone# to use whatsapp…….

  14. Bean said on January 22, 2015 at 3:13 pm
    Reply

    Argh, why do they exclude iOS? I’m also still waiting for an iPad WhatsApp..

  15. David said on January 22, 2015 at 12:56 pm
    Reply

    What about Opera? What about changing your Useragent?

    What about both of the above?

  16. Mark said on January 22, 2015 at 11:50 am
    Reply

    “WhatsApp Web” option is a server side option. Just wait and it will appear.

  17. Hawk said on January 22, 2015 at 11:37 am
    Reply

    I have this version on Android, but this “web” option doesn’t appear.

    1. Patrick van Elk said on January 22, 2015 at 1:42 pm
      Reply

      I had the same problem, was also already on .498. Some people reported that forcing the app to stop and starting again did the trick, but not for me; I had to remove and reinstall the app.

      Be careful though, I made a backup using WhatsBack but the most recent messages weren’t saved (probably because of the forced stop).

      1. iron2000 said on January 23, 2015 at 2:25 am
        Reply

        Force stop did the trick for me.

    2. alan said on January 22, 2015 at 1:34 pm
      Reply

      I don’t have it either.

      Have 2.11.498.

      I am not reinstalling , don’t want to risk losing all chats .

      1. iron2000 said on January 23, 2015 at 2:25 am
        Reply

        Try to force stop Whatsapp first.

    3. Kostas said on January 22, 2015 at 12:51 pm
      Reply

      Same here. Version 2.11.498 and no updates from the Play store available…

    4. vigilantes said on January 22, 2015 at 11:51 am
      Reply

      Yeah, me too.

    5. Martin Brinkmann said on January 22, 2015 at 11:38 am
      Reply

      Hm, that is strange.

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