How to get WhatsApp on an iPad or any Windows or Mac computer
-
Loading... - Agnes Lehnert
- 06 Nov 2021
- 1437 Views
- 0 Like
- 0 Comment
Are you getting the best from WhatsApp ? Are you frustrated with using it on a touchscreen and long for a proper keyboard? Well there are some great ways to use the messaging app without even picking up a phone.
Because WhatsApp is a secure messaging system there's no central database of your messages. That means that to use the app on a computer you need to connect directly to your phone.
When you do this you'll see your whole chat history, and it looks much the same as it would on your phone.
Because you need to pair the app you'll need to have a computer that's connected to the internet. Your phone will also need to be connected to the net.
Here's how to use WhatsApp on nearly any tablet or computer you own.
Using WhatsApp in a web browser
The simplest way to get your messages on a computer is to visit web.whatsapp.com and pair your phone.
To pair you need to scan a QR code. This will appear when you visit the web interface. From your phone, go to settings and look for "WhatsApp Web/Desktop".
Press the button and you'll be given a list of devices you've already connected.
Using WhatsApp on an iPad
There's no app to use WhatsApp on an iPad. This is mostly because iPads don't have voice phone numbers assigned to them. However there's a slightly clunky hack to get your messages on an iPad.
You'll need to open your web browser and type web.whatsapp.com into the address bar. When the page loads it will tell you that you need to use the app or a computer.
However if you use Safari or Chrome there's a menu option to "request desktop site". Pressing this should allow the web app to load and you can pair it with your phone as above.
This will also work on Android-based tablets too.
Using WhatsApp on a Windows PC
You can either use the web interface at web.whatsapp.com or there's a specific app you can download from WhatsApp directly .
If you use Windows 10 you'll also find the app in the Microsoft Store on your computer.
There's not a massive difference between the two, but the Windows Store version should be slightly safer as Microsoft checks these apps for problems.
Using WhatsApp on a Mac
As with the PC there's a simple desktop client that allows you to read and compose messages on your Mac. You can, of course, use the web interface too and there's little difference between the two.
You can get it from the WhatsApp website, or download via the Apple Mac App Store.
Stickers work!
You can use WhatsApp stickers on a computer or web browser. They're in the Emjoi tab though, rather than on their own button in the message box.
Advantages of using a computer
The really nice thing about using the web interface or apps is that it's a lot easier to share links, photos or videos. Simply drag and drop to send things to friends.
It's also a lot easier to drop dank memes into chats as animated GIFs.
Disadvantages of using a computer
On the downside you don't get every feature. You can't make calls from the web app yet although you can record voice messages.
Be safe
Make sure that you don't log in to WhatsApp from shared computers without logging out at the end of your session.
You can also log out any device using your WhatsApp mobile app. Just press the "Log out from all devices" button on the settings > WhatsApp web menu.
You can also log out from the menu on the web interface, or desktop app.
