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

Related Stories

homepod mini stereo pair mac

macOS 11.3: How to Use Two HomePods With a Mac for Stereo Audio Output

Tuesday April 27, 2021 2:17 am PDT by
With the arrival of macOS Big Sur 11.3, it is now possible to use a HomePod stereo pair as your Mac's system audio output. This article explains how to set up two HomePod speakers as a stereo pair and then connect them to your Mac. Dedicated stereo speakers are always going to provide a better listening experience than relying on your Mac's built-in speakers for audio, so it makes sense that ...
Read Full Article • 113 comments
mozilla firefox banner

How to Clear Cookies in Firefox on Mac and iOS

Monday April 19, 2021 11:24 am PDT by
Whenever you browse the web in Firefox, the browser stores website data including cookies so that it doesn't have to do so again each time you revisit a site. In theory this should speed up your browsing experience, but there are some scenarios where you might want to clear the cache and start anew. Keep reading to learn how it's done on Mac, iPhone, and iPad. There are a couple of...
Read Full Article
m1 mac family

How to Check Your Mac's Warranty and AppleCare+ Status

Thursday May 6, 2021 1:35 pm PDT by
In macOS Big Sur 11.3 and later, it's easy to find up-to-date information about your Mac's warranty or AppleCare plan. You can check whether your device is covered and see what kinds of repair and support are included with your cover. You can also find your agreement number, proof of purchase and expiry date. To get information on your Mac's warranty status and/or AppleCare+ plan, first...
Read Full Article
appstorelogoclean

How to Remove the Apps You Don't Use on Your iPhone and iPad

Thursday April 8, 2021 4:34 pm PDT by
With so many paid-for and free apps available on the App Store these days, it's easy to reach a point where you have so many of them on your iPhone or iPad that a sizable proportion are simply forgotten about, and soon storage space starts to become an issue. Fortunately, there's an easy way that you can keep tabs on which apps you use the most and which ones have basically become redundant,...
Read Full Article
chrome link to highlight

Chrome 90: How to Link Directly to Specific Text on a Webpage

Monday April 19, 2021 2:56 am PDT by
With the release of Chrome 90, Google is rolling out a new browser feature that lets you create a shareable link to a section of text you've highlighted on a webpage. Here's how to use it. Sometimes when you share a webpage link with someone, you just want to bring their attention to a specific passage or sentence to make your point, rather than have them read through the entire article. ...
Read Full Article • 19 comments
mac app store iphone ipad apps

How to Uninstall iPhone and iPad Apps on an M1 Mac

Tuesday May 18, 2021 3:43 pm PDT by
If you own a Mac powered by Apple silicon, you can download and install iOS and iPadOS apps from the Mac App Store in macOS Big Sur. But how do you uninstall them? Keep reading to learn how. Apple's M1 Macs, which are the first to be powered by an Apple-designed Arm-based chip, are able to run iOS and iPadOS apps because of the common architecture between the different operating systems....
Read Full Article
Telegram app

How to Import WhatsApp Chats into Telegram on iPhone

Wednesday February 3, 2021 6:33 pm PST by
Over 100 million new users joined encrypted messaging app Telegram in January 2021. The stunning growth in the platform's user base was linked to an exodus from rival chat app WhatsApp, which concerned many of its users with a confusing privacy policy update that seemed to imply that more of their data would be shared with Facebook. WhatsApp tried to deal with the fallout by clarifying that...
Read Full Article
photos icon

How to Back Up Your iPhone Photos

Wednesday May 12, 2021 9:26 am PDT by
Backing up the photos you take on your iPhone might not sound like a thrilling prospect, but it's far from a thankless task. On the contrary, it's a crucial step in ensuring that your most precious pictures are never lost. Plus, once you have a system for backing up your photos in place, you can get on with enjoying taking pictures with your smartphone in the confidence that they're safe. You...
Read Full Article

Popular Stories

maxresdefault

Review: M1 Max MacBook Pro After Three Months

Wednesday January 19, 2022 11:30 am PST by
It's now been a few months since the M1 Pro and M1 Max MacBook Pro models launched in October, and MacRumors video editor Dan Barbera has been using one of the new machines since they debuted. Over on the MacRumors YouTube channel, Dan has shared a three month review of his MacBook Pro to see how it has held up over time and how it's changed his workflow. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube ...
Read Full Article • 183 comments
airpodsinear 1

AirPods Save Woman's Life With Feature Everyone Should Know

Friday January 21, 2022 2:13 am PST by
Apple's AirPods have been credited with saving a woman's life after a potentially fatal fall, People reports. When a 60-year-old florist in New Jersey tripped and hit her head in her studio, she lost consciousness and awoke heavily bleeding. With nobody around to call for help, she realized she had her AirPods in, and used a "Hey Siri" command to call 911. An operator was able to stay on the ...
Read Full Article
iphone se 2020 top

New iPhone SE Likely to Launch in April Based on Production Timeframe

Wednesday January 19, 2022 6:44 am PST by
Apple suppliers will begin producing display panels for the third-generation iPhone SE this month, with final assembly of the device likely to start in March, according to information shared by display industry consultant Ross Young. Based on this production timeframe, Young believes the third-generation iPhone SE is likely to launch in the second half of April, or perhaps in early May at...
Read Full Article • 52 comments
iphone 13 earpods

Apple to Stop Including EarPods With Every iPhone Sold in France From Next Week

Friday January 21, 2022 3:21 am PST by
Apple will no longer include EarPods with every iPhone sold in France, starting on January 24, according to a notice posted by a French carrier (via iGeneration). Apple was previously required to include EarPods in the box with the iPhone due to a French law that required every smartphone sold in the country to come with a "handsfree kit," but the law has now been changed in favor of reducing the ...
Read Full Article • 170 comments
Spring 2022 Apple Products Feature

New iPad Air, Macs, and iPhone SE With 5G Likely to Be Announced at Apple Event This Spring

Thursday January 20, 2022 8:32 am PST by
Earlier this week, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman tweeted that Apple "will be holding a spring event" to announce a new iPhone SE and other hardware. In a recent edition of his newsletter, Gurman said the event is likely to occur in March or April. Gurman did not elaborate on what "other hardware" will be announced at Apple's purported spring event, but rumors suggest at least four products are...
Read Full Article • 80 comments
appleeducation

Apple's US Education Store Now Requires Institution Verification to Buy Discounted Products

Wednesday January 19, 2022 2:22 am PST by
Apple is now requiring that customers in the United States verify that they're active students, teachers, or staff members at an educational institution in order to access education discounts on products. Previously, little verification was needed for customers to purchase products through Apple's education store in the United States. Apple's education stores offer models of the iPad and Mac ...
Read Full Article • 145 comments
AirPods 3 New Firmware Feature

Apple Updates AirPods 3 Firmware to Version 4C170

Tuesday January 18, 2022 11:46 am PST by
Apple today released a new 4C170 firmware update for the AirPods 3, an update from the prior 4C165 that was made available in December. Apple does not offer details on what's included in new firmware updates for the AirPods‌, so we don't know what improvements or bug fixes the new firmware brings. There is no standard way to upgrade the ‌AirPods‌‌ software, but firmware is...
Read Full Article • 53 comments
appleprivacyad cleaned

iOS 15 Patched Security Hole That Potentially Exposed Users' Private Apple ID Information to Third-Party Apps

Thursday January 20, 2022 3:32 am PST by
Apple patched two significant security vulnerabilities when it released iOS 15 that could have potentially exposed users' private Apple ID information and in-app search history to malicious third-party apps and allowed apps to override user Privacy preferences, Apple has revealed in a recent support document update. With most iOS, macOS, tvOS, and watchOS updates, Apple provides a list of...
Read Full Article • 71 comments
apple watch series 7 aluminum colors yellowbg

Apple Watch Charging Bug Fixed in watchOS 8.4 Release Candidate

Thursday January 20, 2022 4:01 pm PST by
The watchOS 8.4 release candidate that was seeded to developers and beta testers this morning addresses an ongoing bug that could cause some Apple Watch chargers not to work properly with the Apple Watch. Back in December, we reported on a growing number of charging issues that Apple Watch Series 7 owners were facing. Since watchOS 8.3, there have been a number of complaints about...
Read Full Article • 24 comments