Facebook-owned WhatsApp today announced the launch of a desktop app for Mac OS X, allowing users to easily carry on their conversations from their computers natively. The move comes several months after debuting a web version of its popular chat service.

whatsapp

Today we're introducing a desktop app so you have a new way to stay in touch anytime and anywhere - whether on your phone or computer at home or work. Like WhatsApp Web, our desktop app is simply an extension of your phone: the app mirrors conversations and messages from your mobile device.

The new desktop app is available for Mac OS 10.9 and above and Windows 8 and supports native desktop notifications, keyboard shortcuts and more. The app also syncs to users' mobile devices, which means that notifications and conversations are mirrored in the desktop app.

To download the free app, WhatsApp users have to go to whatsapp.com/download from their desktop browser. Once the app is downloaded, users will be presented with a QR code. To scan the code, users will have to use the WhatsApp app on their phone, going into the app's settings and clicking "WhatsApp Web" to activate the QR code scanner.

Top Rated Comments

farewelwilliams Avatar
119 months ago
2 years too late. i already moved on to telegram
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mr. McMac Avatar
119 months ago
I don't do facebook nor whatsapp. I think Zuckerberg is a complete as*hOle POS.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
now i see it Avatar
119 months ago
I guess they've never heard of email.

Just another data collection app for morons.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
usamaah Avatar
119 months ago
2 years too late. i already moved on to telegram
I agree, I love Telegram. Arguably though if all parties have updated their Whatsapp app, and you have encrypted your phone, Whatsapp is more secure than Telegram.

This. It's crazy how they can be backed by so much money and still need that long to port their messenger (which is really not among the most complex software out there) to desktop systems.
Because they didn't port it to the desktop really, the database is still on your phone. My guess they were trying to decide on the best way to handle the data.

Really? To use the app you have to scan a QR code? How silly.
Not really, they only want the phone that has your WhatsApp installation to be authorizing a computer's webversion or in this case desktop version of Whatsapp. Thus your phone needs a unique identifier for a particular instance of Whatapp mirroring, and rather than have you type in a weird string of characters, you can achieve the same results with a quick scan of a QR code.

I guess they've never heard of email.

Just another data collection app for morons.
Hey, are your emails encrypted? Did you know that not even Facebook can read your messages? It seems when morons like you hear Apple say "your iMessages are encrypted" you're ready to believe, but when another company says it you're ready to call its users morons and wear the tin foil hat.
[doublepost=1462929478][/doublepost]
I know, right? Telegram has a much better client that doesn't depend on using your phone as a proxy and isn't owned by Facebook. It's like a win win.

It also surprises me that Facebook can't figure out how to implement a proper desktop WhatsApp client. Their own messenger app works fine across multiple devices.
I don't think they think of the phone as a proxy, they think of the phone as the user's database of messages. There isn't a permanent cloud storage option. This makes it more secure, arguably, than Telegram.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Telegram and have been converting my friends over the past few months. I'm willing to sacrifice a little bit of security/privacy for the convenience, speed and broad availability of Telegram (it's on so many platforms), and yes it is nice that it isn't owned by Facebook.

However Whatsapp is arguably more secure and part of the reason is that phones have to run through your phone, and the only way to ever access the messages is by accessing your phone. Think about it; if you're ever worried about who may be reading your messages, you can just destroy your Whatsapp messages on the phone and any mirroring app will not be able to "recover" the data because it was never actually stored on that mirroring app (be it Chrome or this desktop app).

Facebook's Messenger app uses cloud storage and doesn't advertise encryption as a key feature.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
zorinlynx Avatar
119 months ago
2 years too late. i already moved on to telegram
I know, right? Telegram has a much better client that doesn't depend on using your phone as a proxy and isn't owned by Facebook. It's like a win win.

It also surprises me that Facebook can't figure out how to implement a proper desktop WhatsApp client. Their own messenger app works fine across multiple devices.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
KALLT Avatar
119 months ago
It is basically a Chromium browser wrapped in an application bundle. It is literally the exact same thing as the web.whatsapp.com ('http://web.whatsapp.com') client, only with a Dock icon and separate push notifications instead of HTML5 web notifications. It is also really huge, the app bundle alone is 135 MB(!) big and that does not count the cache that it might create.

When are they going to move everything to the cloud so we can get proper apps for the iPad and the desktop instead of using workarounds like this? It’s frustrating that I still cannot solely use my iPad without fearing some important WhatsApp message might have been sent to my charging iPhone in another room.
Probably never. Their CEO reaffirmed this only recently. They have no ambitions for independent clients.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro Lower Logo Feature 1

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 14 New Features

Monday June 30, 2025 1:08 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are less than three months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max in September this year. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models:Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an...
A18 Pro Chip

New MacBook With A18 Pro Chip Spotted in Apple Code

Monday June 30, 2025 8:05 am PDT by
Apple is developing a MacBook with the A18 Pro chip, according to findings in backend code uncovered by MacRumors. Earlier today, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported that Apple is planning to launch a low-cost MacBook powered by an iPhone chip. The machine is expected to feature a 13-inch display, the A18 Pro chip, and color options that include silver, blue, pink, and yellow. MacRumors...
iPhone Car Key WWDC 2025

Apple Announces 13 Automakers Planning to Offer iPhone Car Keys

Friday June 27, 2025 11:42 am PDT by
In 2020, Apple added a digital car key feature to its Wallet app, allowing users to lock, unlock, and start a compatible vehicle with an iPhone or Apple Watch. The feature is currently offered by select automakers, including Audi, BMW, Hyundai, Kia, Genesis, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, and a handful of others, and it is set to expand further. During its WWDC 2025 keynote, Apple said that 13...
maxresdefault

Five Features Coming to AirPods Pro 3

Friday June 27, 2025 10:52 am PDT by
Apple hasn't updated the AirPods Pro since 2022, and the earbuds are due for a refresh. We're counting on a new model this year, and we've seen several hints of new AirPods tucked away in Apple's code. Rumors suggest that Apple has some exciting new features planned that will make it worthwhile to upgrade to the latest model. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Heal...
macbook air spacegray purple

Apple Planning to Launch Low-Cost MacBook Powered By iPhone Chip

Monday June 30, 2025 3:20 am PDT by
Apple is planning to launch a low-cost MacBook powered by an iPhone chip, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. In an article published on X, Kuo explained that the device will feature a 13-inch display and the A18 Pro chip, making it the first Mac powered by an iPhone chip. The A18 Pro chip debuted in the iPhone 16 Pro last year. To date, all Apple silicon Macs have contained M-series...
anker power bank recall

PSA: Anker Recalls Multiple Power Banks Due to Fire Risk

Friday June 27, 2025 4:16 pm PDT by
Popular accessory maker Anker this month launched two separate recalls for its power banks, some of which may be a fire risk. The first recall affects Anker PowerCore 10000 Power Banks sold between June 1, 2016 and December 31, 2022 in the United States. Anker says that these power banks have a "potential issue" with the battery inside, which can lead to overheating, melting of plastic...
Chase Sapphire Reserve Apple Perk Feature

Chase Sapphire Reserve Card Introduces New Perk for Apple Customers

Wednesday June 25, 2025 2:08 pm PDT by
Chase this week announced a series of new perks for its premium Sapphire Reserve credit card, and one of them is for a pair of Apple services. Specifically, the credit card now offers complimentary annual subscriptions to Apple TV+ and Apple Music, a value of up to $250 per year. If you are already paying for Apple TV+ and/or Apple Music directly through Apple, those subscriptions will...
replay all time playlist apple music

Apple Music Debuts All-New Personalized Playlist

Monday June 30, 2025 7:16 am PDT by
As part of its 10-year celebrations of Apple Music, Apple today released an all-new personalized playlist that collates your entire listening history. The playlist, called "Replay All Time," expands on Apple Music's existing Replay features. Previously, users could only see their top songs for each individual calendar year that they've been subscribed to Apple Music, but now, Replay All...