About WhatsApp on PC
WhatsApp has official apps for Windows and Mac, and WhatsApp Web works in any up-to-date browser. All of them run as linked devices: you connect them to the WhatsApp account on your phone by scanning a QR code, and your chats stay end-to-end encrypted.
You can link up to four devices to one phone. To keep them connected, open WhatsApp on your phone at least once every 14 days.
If you use the Windows app, you may have noticed a change in late 2025. Meta replaced the native Windows app with a version built on Microsoft Edge WebView2, which is essentially WhatsApp Web inside an app window. Existing users were logged out once in December 2025 and had to link the app again, and early tests found the new version uses noticeably more memory than the old one.
What you can do on the desktop
- Send messages, voice notes, photos and files straight from your computer
- Make voice and video calls from the desktop app
- Keep chats in sync with your phone, end-to-end encrypted
- Type with a real keyboard and drag files in from your desktop
How to Install WhatsApp on PC
Download and install WhatsApp on your Windows PC or Mac using the official app. Pick the option that fits your computer; all of them link to the WhatsApp account on your phone.
Method 1: Official app for Windows
- Open the WhatsApp desktop download page and choose Windows. It opens WhatsApp in the Microsoft Store.
- Click Install, then open WhatsApp.
- On your phone, open WhatsApp and go to Linked devices (Settings on iPhone, the three-dot menu on Android), then tap Link a device.
- Scan the QR code shown on your PC. Your chats start syncing.
Method 2: Official app for Mac
- Download WhatsApp from the WhatsApp desktop download page or the Mac App Store.
- Open the app and scan the QR code from Linked devices on your phone, the same way as on Windows.
Method 3: WhatsApp Web in your browser
- Go to web.whatsapp.com.
- Scan the QR code from Linked devices on your phone.
- Nothing to install, which makes it the best option on a shared or work computer. Log out when you're done.
What about Android emulators?
You can install the Android app in an emulator such as BlueStacks, but it is rarely worth it. WhatsApp in an emulator registers as your main phone, so WhatsApp on your actual phone gets signed out. Use the official app or WhatsApp Web instead.
System Requirements
- Windows: Windows 10 64-bit, version 1903 or later (Windows 11 works too)
- Mac: macOS 11 or later
- Any other computer: WhatsApp Web in an up-to-date browser
- Phone: an active WhatsApp account on your phone, to link the computer
- Internet: a working connection
Frequently Asked Questions
Is WhatsApp for PC free?
Yes. The Windows and Mac apps and WhatsApp Web are all free.
Do I need my phone to use WhatsApp on PC?
You need it once, to link the computer by scanning a QR code. After that the computer works on its own, but you must open WhatsApp on your phone at least every 14 days or your linked devices are logged out.
Does WhatsApp work on Windows 7 or 8?
Not the desktop app: it needs Windows 10 version 1903 or later. On an older computer, WhatsApp Web in an up-to-date browser is the only official option.
Why did WhatsApp on my Windows PC log me out?
In December 2025, WhatsApp moved Windows users to its new web-based desktop app and logged existing users out once. Link the app again from Linked devices on your phone and your chats come back.
What about WhatsApp Business?
WhatsApp Business has its own guide: WhatsApp Business for PC. If you are thinking of switching apps altogether, see our WhatsApp alternatives.
