Although it has been a service for some time now, many still do not know how to use WhatsApp Web or even do not know its existence at all!
If you are looking for information on this you have come to the right article. In the following lines I will explain what it is, how it works and how you can activate it and use it, so you can chat, talk and send photos and files with all your friends even from your computer and without always having your smartphone in your hands.
What is WhatsApp Web?
WhatsApp Web is an official service made available by WhatsApp that allows you to use the messaging app even on your computer.
All you need is a web browser installed on your computer – Chrome, Firefox (with their derivatives) and Microsoft Edge are certainly compatible – and that WhatsApp is installed and active on your smartphone (connected to the Internet).
Maybe this is the only true limit of WhatsApp Web: even if you can talk with your friends from the computer, the smartphone on which you have installed your WhatsApp must still be switched on and connected to the Internet (even via LTE, but it is better to use the same WiFi network).
In other words, you will not be able to use WhatsApp Web if your smartphone is unloaded, the WhatsApp app is not self-starting or you have no field on your cellular network.
What can you do with WhatsApp Web?
WhatsApp Web is almost identical to the WhatsApp you’re used to seeing and using!
Once configured and paired to your WhatsApp on smartphone (I will explain in the next paragraph how to do), you can use almost all the features you are used to appreciate: you can send and view messages, photos, voice notes, videos, documents and more to all your contacts, access the list of blocked contacts, start new single and group chats, turn notifications on or off and much more.
To date, support for calls, video calls and personal status is lacking; perhaps in the future these will also be introduced in WhatsApp Web.
How to use WhatsApp Web
The first thing you need to do, to use WhatsApp Web, is to configure it with your WhatsApp account active on your smartphone.
To proceed, click on your computer at the link below to open the main page of WhatsApp Web:
LINK | https://web.whatsapp.com/
As you can see, you will be shown a QR code; keep this page open.
Once you have done this, take your smartphone, open WhatsApp and bring yourself to the list of your conversations.
From there, tap the app menu (the button with the three dots at the top right) and select WhatsApp Web.
Tap on the “+” that you will find on the top right…
… after which, as indicated by the box, the QR code shown on the page of the browser you have opened before.
After a few seconds you will see the WhatsApp Web interface appear on your PC’s browser!
At this point you can easily put your smartphone and use WhatsApp from there.
All the features of Whatsapp Web
These are all the features you can use on Whatsapp Web:
You will find all your chats and groups on the left side of the screen; by clicking on each of them, you will be able to access the respective chat.
The buttons in the window are practically the same as those of WhatsApp for smartphones or tablets:
- Through the magnifying glass you can search inside the chat
- With the paper clip you can attach documents, files, contacts, photos or videos (also taken by the camera, if it is present) function that we will see better below
- The upper right menu, consisting of three vertical dots, is used to view contact information, select multiple messages, mute the contact, delete messages or completely delete the chat.
Moving the lower eye, you will find the button to add the emojis or animated GIF, the bar to write your messages and a small microphone that will allow you to send the voice notes (if you have the microphone on your computer, of course ).
In the image below you can see a general overview of Whatsapp Web:
- By writing at the point indicated by the arrow you can send a message to the contact you prefer. Once you have finished typing the message, press Enter on your keyboard to send it.
- By clicking on the microphone, you can send voice messages, just have a microphone connected to the computer. To do so, hold down the button with the microphone indicated by the arrow until you speak and stop pressing to send the message.
- By pressing the button showing the paper clip you will be able to access all the functions indicated in point 4.
- Photo & Video, clicking above you can send photos and videos.
Camera, clicking above will activate your camera to send a photo in real time.
Document, to send any file.
Contact, to send the whatsapp contact of a friend or family member.
Now move your gaze to the left side of the WhatsApp Web window:
by clicking on your profile picture, the one at the top, you can change your name or info on your profile (1).
By clicking on the icon in the form of a comic you can start a new chat (2).
Again, by clicking on the three dots icon, you can create a new group, access archived chats, important messages, settings (from which you can view blocked contacts, notification and background settings) and disconnect from WhatsApp Web.
Finally, by clicking the right button on each chat in the list you can archive it, silence it, delete it, fix it or mark it as read.
And that’s all: I explained all the main features to use WhatsApp Web at best.
Now you just have to put yourself on the computer and… start chatting right away.