WhatsApp for PC

The world today is getting smaller by the day. The fast-growing technology sector has led to enhanced communication among people from across the globe. At present, technology is more about mobile and it has become imperative to remain in touch anywhere and anytime. Unfortunately, this huge mobile market is sliced up among a few different firms. More often, users had to select who they wanted to communicate with and which medium they wanted to use.

Today, people have got a choice about who they wish to communicate with. There are several applications available to communicate using Android, iOS, or any other smartphone. One can even communicate using his or her PC or laptop. WhatsApp is one such cross-platform application that lets people send messages, files, videos, and much more. It has become one of the most popular messaging and VOIP service apps across the globe.

Using WhatsApp on PC

WhatsApp is a cross-platform app that can also be used on your PC. All one needs to do is open the WhatsApp Web. This can be done by going to https://web.whatsapp.com/ through any web browser. It is quite easy and a straightforward process to set up WhatsApp Web. Just follow the below steps:

  1. On your smartphone, open the WhatsApp app
  2. Click on Settings, which is a 3-Dots Icon. This will open WhatsApp Web/Desktop
  3. Next, open web.whatsapp.com on the web browser of your PC
  4. After that, using the WhatsApp Scanner, scan the on-screen QR Code using your smartphone
  5. After scanning the QR Code, you would be able to access your WhatsApp account from your PC

After the QR code is scanned, you would get a confirmation in the form of haptic feedback on the smartphone. One can also instantly see the messages and conversations on the computer. Let us now understand what are the pros and cons of using WhatsApp for your PC.

Pros of using WhatsApp for PC

There are several advantages of using WhatsApp on your computer. Some of these benefits have been listed below:

  1. It makes the chatting experience richer as one can type messages on a computer much faster.
  2. One can easily send videos or images stored on the PC.
  3. WhatsApp images or videos can be easily downloaded and stored in your computer that has larger storage.
  4. After scanning the QR Code, you remain logged in and hence, one does not have to login again and again.

Cons of using WhatsApp for PC

While there are some great advantages of using WhatsApp on the PC, one also needs to consider its disadvantages to understand completely about using WhatsApp for PC. These disadvantages are as follows:

  1. The Internet data usage would double up as the message that you send through your PC is also sent through your phone.
  2. In case you’re using WhatsApp from a PC that is also accessible by others, it can be a privacy concern. This is because others would also be able to access your WhatsApp messages or chat with someone in your contacts.

Setting Up WhatsApp Web on an iPhone or iOS Device

For using WhatsApp Web on your iOS device via WhatsApp web scan, all you need to do is follow the below simple steps:

  1. Go to WhatsApp on your iOS device.
  2. Click on the Settings Icon. This would open WhatsApp Web/Desktop.
  3. Next, open web.whatsapp.com on a browser on the PC.
  4. Move ahead to scan the on-screen QR Code with the help of WhatsApp Scanner from the mobile device.
  5. After scanning the QR Code, the WhatsApp account would become accessible through the PC.

Logging Out from WhatsApp Web

In case you have logged in to WhatsApp Web-only for some time or if you do not want to avail of this service anymore, you can logout from WhatsApp Web. Just follow the below steps to quickly logout from WhatsApp Web:

  1. Go to WhatsApp on the smart device.
  2. Click on Settings and select WhatsApp Web/Desktop.
  3. From the options, select Log out.
  4. Next, confirm again by clicking on Log Out.
  5. You would now be logged out from all your active sessions.

Difference between WhatsApp QR Code and WhatsApp Barcode

Both QR code as well as Barcode can be used for storing information. These are the perfect examples of an information matrix. WhatsApp tends to rely on WhatsApp QR Code over WhatsApp Barcode. This is because a QR code can be used to ink unlimited information easily. Additionally, QR codes can be used to trigger different kinds of actions like sending a tweet, dialing a number, bookmarking a website, downloading a vCard, and so on.

Download WhatsApp Desktop for macOS and Windows PC

The official WhatsApp Desktop app for macOS as well as Windows PC can be downloaded easily from the App Store and the Microsoft Store respectively. A dedicated WhatsApp application for Windows 10 provides a more seamless experience to its users and compared to WhatsApp Web, it’s much more responsive.

Using WhatsApp Web On iPad

The process of installing and using WhatsApp Web on an iPad used to be quite tricky in the past. However, with the introduction of the iPad, this process has become much simpler. For using WhatsApp Web on devices such as iPad, just go to the official WhatsApp Web site.

In case you have Safari then you need to hold the ‘page refresh’ button that is there on the top right side of the URL bar. You would then observe after some time that a pop-up would be displayed which would request for the desktop site. You just need to press it to start using WhatsApp Web on your iPad. WhatsApp Web is one of the perfect communication platforms that offer some great features and also allows its users to stay connected at all times.

Process of Using WhatsApp Web

In this section, we have introduced some basic tutorials so that you can easily use WhatsApp Web to its full potential. Keep on reading to find out more about it!

1. Searching for Contacts

After scanning the QR code on the PC, WhatsApp Web would instantly synchronize with the phone, and further, it will also display your recent messages. One can easily scroll down or text any contact on the contact list.  Besides this, one can even make use of the search bar for searching for a contact or messaging them.

2. Forwarding Messages

Sending or forwarding messages on WhatsApp is a simple task while using the smartphone. However, it can be tricky for some people to select and forward the messages on WhatsApp Web. For forwarding a message, you need to take the cursor to the message that you want to forward to others. After that, just click on the bottom facing arrow and select the option to forward the message.

3. Sharing Files or Pictures

While WhatsApp Web can be used to send text messages, it can also be used to send and receive images or other supported files. For sharing pictures from the PC, just click on the paperclip icon on the right of the chat. One can easily send the pictures stored on the PC or capture a new one by going to the camera icon. You can even send documents that are stored on your PC with the help of WhatsApp Web.

4. Upload or View Status

WhatsApp Web even allows its users to have a look at the status that has been uploaded by their family or friends. This service, however, doesn’t allow the users to update or upload the status. One can also view their status with a smartphone.

What Can WhatsApp Web Not Do?

WhatsApp Web is not only a messaging service, but it is also a great medium to synchronize your phone with your PC and display the recent messages on it. However, there are certain things that the WhatsApp Web cannot do. These are as follows:

  • Users cannot send a WhatsApp Broadcast.
  • One cannot make video calls or voice calls through their computer.
  • Users can’t change the download settings of media. This means that different media such as videos or photos are automatically downloaded. This can consume a lot of data.
  • One cannot post WhatsApp Status updates.
  • Users also cannot share maps or their live location.
  • Lastly, one cannot use two browsers simultaneously with WhatsApp Web.

Conclusion

WhatsApp is one of the most popular mobile phone apps in the market today. It can easily be used to send messages over the internet. The best part is that WhatsApp is available for both iPhone as well as Android devices. One can download WhatsApp’s desktop app or easily access WhatsApp from the browser. Another interesting thing about WhatsApp is that it can be used across different platforms. The above article is enough to get a complete insight into the WhatsApp Web and how to download and use it on different devices.

Author bio: Andrew Raso is the CEO and one of the founding members of OMG Digital Marketing Company in Australia. He has a long illustrious career in the SEO and SEM industry and has written for many prestigious websites