Apps

Better late than never - WhatsApp launches official desktop clients for Windows and Mac

posted by Peter K. / May 11, 2016, 5:46 AM

Better late than never - WhatsApp launches official desktop clients for Windows and Mac

In early May 2013, Viber treated its vast user base to brand new desktop clients for Windows and Mac OS X. There was hardly anything not to like about this, as Viber fans were given yet another way of chatting with their peers, even when they are away from their phones.

Now, approximately 3 years later, WhatsApp has decided it's high time it joined the party. One of Viber's more notable rivals just launched its official desktop clients for both Windows 8+ and Mac OS X 10.9+. With a familiar UI and design, long-term WhatsApp users will feel just at home with the newcomer. Being a native client, WhatsApp will show native desktop notifications and support common keyboard shortcuts.Apart from chatting with your pals (duh), you can attach pictures, videos, and documents. The full range of emojis are also just a click away. Oh, and you also get that 'sent' and 'read' tickers.

You can get the desktop client by visiting https://www.whatsapp.com/download; after you install it, scan the QR code you are provided it through the built-in QR scanner in your mobile WhatsApp app (look for WhatsApp Web in the app's settings).

As a reminder, WhatsApp just recently employed end-to-end encryption so as to boost security and ensure the privacy of users, who are now well over a billion.

Are you getting the desktop app?

source: WhatsApp

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15 Comments

1. deanylev

Posts: 234; Member since: Mar 11, 2014

All it is is an HTML wrapper for Whatsapp Web, so a self contained Chromium Browser. Really nothing special, offers no extra features...

posted on May 11, 2016, 5:50 AM 7

2. ava51

Posts: 86; Member since: Feb 12, 2016

No Windows 7 support??

posted on May 11, 2016, 6:04 AM 2

11. revonox

Posts: 2; Member since: May 11, 2016

Go to whatsapp.com/web for support of any system ;)

posted on May 11, 2016, 7:39 PM 0

12. Mercedes-Benz

Posts: 403; Member since: Jan 18, 2015

It works on windows 7

posted on May 12, 2016, 2:18 AM 0

3. MrElectrifyer

Posts: 3960; Member since: Oct 21, 2014

Nice to have, but I think it should be a UWP app, not an executable...

posted on May 11, 2016, 6:20 AM 3

4. An.Awesome.Guy

Posts: 636; Member since: Jan 12, 2015

Does it work independently from your smartphone like how Viber can work ?

posted on May 11, 2016, 7:07 AM 0

5. deanylev

Nope, just a Wrapper for Whatsapp Web.

posted on May 11, 2016, 7:34 AM 4

9. An.Awesome.Guy

Thank you What a shame for such a $20 billion company

posted on May 11, 2016, 2:35 PM 0

13. Mercedes-Benz

But it does supports native notification on both mac and PC

posted on May 12, 2016, 2:18 AM 1

6. brasstax

Posts: 537; Member since: Apr 16, 2014

Maybe I am ignorant, but how come this is new? I have been using Whats-app, on my Windows Vista PC for over a year now using the same Whats-App Web option from the pone menu and scanning the QR code.

posted on May 11, 2016, 9:01 AM 2

10. An.Awesome.Guy

They made a separate app that will open only that whatsapp webpage and apparently it will stop working as your phone stops just like in chrome

posted on May 11, 2016, 2:37 PM 0

14. Mercedes-Benz

why do you still use vista ? Its rubbish , go for xp or 7

posted on May 12, 2016, 2:19 AM 0

7. MedLEB unregistered

It sucks, I hate It, It works like "Whatsapp Web", It stops working when you disconnect your phone from Wi-Fi/Data, I was waiting for a standalone desktop app, like what Telegram is doing, so I will stick with Telegram.