Despite strong competition from the likes of Telegram and Signal, WhatsApp remains the most popular messaging platform by a mile. At the last count in 2020, the Facebook-owned service had more than 2 billion WhatsApp users around the globe and rising.

whatsapp mac
If you consider that it had 1.5 billion users in 2018 and 1 billion in 2016, then the number of active WhatsApp accounts has been increasing at half a billion every two years.

In 2018, the service said it was host to 64 billion encrypted messages on its most successful day. While the vast majority of these messages will have been exchanged over smartphones, it is possible to use WhatsApp on a Mac. Keep reading to learn how.

How WhatsApp Works on Mac

There are two principle ways that you can access your WhatsApp account from your Mac. You can use the WhatsApp website for a web-based experience, or if you don't like the sound of that, you can use a separate chat client instead.

Mac app store
WhatsApp offers its own free WhatsApp Desktop app available on the Mac App Store, where you'll find other third-party WhatsApp clients also available, such as FreeChat and ChatMate. Which one you choose is a matter of preference, because they all basically do the same thing – let you access and participate in your WhatsApp conversations on your Mac.

How to Use WhatsApp on Your Mac

  1. Open a browser on your Mac and navigate to the WhatsApp Web website. Alternately, launch WhatsApp Desktop for macOS or a third-party WhatsApp-supporting app.
  2. Launch WhatsApp on your iPhone.
  3. Tap Settings.
  4. Select WhatsApp Web/Desktop.
  5. Tap the big blue Link a Device button.
    whatsapp

  6. Point your ‌iPhone‌'s camera at your Mac's screen to capture the QR code shown on the WhatsApp Web website or within the desktop app you're using.
    qr-code

Once the QR code is scanned and the sync is complete, you'll be able to see all the conversations that you've had on your ‌iPhone‌ right there on your Mac. You'll also have the ability to send and receive text and voice-based messages, get involved in group chats, and have access to all of the other things that you're used to doing on your ‌iPhone‌, just now on your Mac's desktop as well.

How to Unlink WhatsApp on Your Mac

You can unlink your WhatsApp account from the computer you're using anytime by following these steps.

  1. Launch WhatsApp on your ‌iPhone‌.
  2. Tap Settings.
  3. Select WhatsApp Web/Desktop.
  4. Under "Device Status," select the browser or app that you previously linked your account to.
  5. Tap Log Out.whatsapp

Now that you've unlinked your account from the computer, nobody else who later uses it will have access to your WhatsApp conversations.

Tags: WhatsApp, WhatsApp Web

Popular Stories

iOS 26

iOS 26.4 and iOS 27 Features Revealed in New Leak

Friday December 12, 2025 10:56 am PST by
Macworld's Filipe Espósito today revealed a handful of features that Apple is allegedly planning for iOS 26.4, iOS 27, and even iOS 28. The report said the features are referenced within the code for a leaked internal build of iOS 26 that is not meant to be seen by the public. However, it appears that Espósito and/or his sources managed to gain access to it, providing us with a sneak peek...
Read Full Article • 89 comments
apple beta 26 lineup

Apple Leak Confirms Work on Foldable iPhone, AirTag 2, and Dozens More Devices

Monday December 15, 2025 2:05 pm PST by
Last week, details about unreleased Apple devices and future iOS features were shared by Macworld. This week, we learned where the information came from, plus we have more findings from the leak. As it turns out, an Apple prototype device running an early build of iOS 26 was sold, and the person who bought it shared the software. The OS has a version number of 23A5234w, and the first...
Read Full Article • 55 comments
Apple Foldable Thumb

Leak Reveals Foldable iPhone Details

Monday December 15, 2025 9:09 am PST by
The first foldable iPhone will feature a series of design and hardware firsts for Apple, according to details shared by the Weibo leaker known as Digital Chat Station. According to a new post, via machine translation, Apple is developing what the leaker describes as a "wide foldable" device, a term used to refer to a horizontally oriented, book-style foldable with a large internal display....
Read Full Article • 139 comments
iOS 26

Apple Releases iOS 26.2 With Alarms for Reminders, Lock Screen Changes, Enhanced Safety Alerts and More

Friday December 12, 2025 10:10 am PST by
Apple today released iOS 26.2, the second major update to the iOS 26 operating system that came out in September, iOS 26.2 comes a little over a month after iOS 26.1 launched. ‌iOS 26‌.2 is compatible with the ‌iPhone‌ 11 series and later, as well as the second-generation ‌iPhone‌ SE. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones over-the-air by going to Settings >...
Read Full Article • 111 comments
Apple Logo Top Half

Early iOS 26 Software Leak Uncovers Dozens of Upcoming Apple Features

Monday December 15, 2025 3:05 pm PST by
Software from an iPhone prototype running an early build of iOS 26 leaked last week, giving us a glimpse at future Apple devices and iOS features. We recapped device codenames in our prior article, and now we have a list of some of the most notable feature flags that were found in the software code. In some cases, it's obvious what the feature flags are referring to, while some are more...
Read Full Article • 22 comments
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Coming Soon With These 8 New Features on Your iPhone

Thursday December 11, 2025 8:49 am PST by
Apple seeded the second iOS 26.2 Release Candidate to developers earlier this week, meaning the update will be released to the general public very soon. Apple confirmed iOS 26.2 would be released in December, but it did not provide a specific date. We expect the update to be released by early next week. iOS 26.2 includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, such as a new...
Read Full Article • 82 comments
macOS Tahoe 26 Thumb

Apple Releases macOS Tahoe 26.2 With Edge Light

Friday December 12, 2025 10:08 am PST by
Apple today released macOS Tahoe 26.2, the second major update to the macOS Tahoe operating system that came out in September. macOS Tahoe 26.2 comes five weeks after Apple released macOS Tahoe 26.1. Mac users can download the macOS Tahoe update by using the Software Update section of System Settings. macOS Tahoe 26.2 includes Edge Light, a feature that illuminates your face with soft...
Read Full Article • 98 comments
AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3

Thursday December 11, 2025 11:28 am PST by
Apple today released new firmware designed for the AirPods Pro 3 and the prior-generation AirPods Pro 2. The AirPods Pro 3 firmware is 8B30, up from 8B25, while the AirPods Pro 2 firmware is 8B28, up from 8B21. There's no word on what's include in the updated firmware, but the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3 are getting expanded support for Live Translation in the European Union in iOS...
Read Full Article • 68 comments