WhatsApp launches Windows desktop app that works without a smartphone

WhatsApp finally runs as a native app on Windows. An active connection to the smartphone for sending and receiving messages is no longer necessary. The native app should be significantly more stable than the previous web-based desktop app. An app for macOS is also in the works and can already be tested as a beta version.

WhatsApp’s native desktop app lets users Download from the Windows Store. Mac users can via TestFlight sign up for the beta (currently the beta test is full). like it im official help section to WhatsApp’s desktop app, the native app version offers a number of advantages over the web version. Users should benefit from increased reliability and speed, and notifications and messages come even when the smartphone is offline.

Up to four linked devices per account

Visually, the native WhatsApp app is very similar to the web-based version, but the interface looks a little tidier. The biggest difference is that users can now use WhatsApp on the PC independently of their smartphone. The mobile phone is only required once after installation to register the PC once for use. As The Verge reported, users can link up to four different devices to their account. Of course, the end-to-end encryption also works on PCs and Macs.

This is how you can log on to the PC after installation

As already mentioned, after installing the app, users have to register once with their smartphone to use WhatsApp on their PC or Mac. However, this process can be completed in just a few steps:

1. Install the native app from the Windows Store or via TestFlight.
2. Open WhatsApp on your smartphone or iPhone.
3. Tap “More options (three dots)” on Android devices or “Settings” on iPhones.
4. Select “Linked Devices”.
5. Scan the QR code on your PC or Mac with the camera of your smartphone or iPhone.

The next time you open the desktop app, your smartphone is no longer necessary.