WhatsApp launched for Desktop as web app

WhatsApp has today launched a web based client that will allow desktop users to use the app on their systems using a web browser. WhatsApp made the announcement in a blogpost on its site.

Today, for the first time, millions of you will have the ability to use WhatsApp on your web browser. Our web client is simply an extension of your phone: the web browser mirrors conversations and messages from your mobile device — this means all of your messages still live on your phone.

The rumors of a desktop based WhatsApp client were circling around over the internet for quite some time. Although it’s not a native desktop application, the one which users have to install, instead it’s a web based version of the app that users can use via a web browser on their PC.

The web based version currently supports Chrome browser only but WhatsApp has promised that support for more browsers will be coming soon.

Having a web based WhatsApp client to use on PC is great but there’s a catch: the whole login process on desktop is a bit weird and tricky. What users have to do is

1. Open the WhatsApp web app page.
2. Launch the app on their respective devices (Android, iOS, Windows, BlackBerry)
3. Select ‘WhatsApp Web’ option from the Menu.
4. Now scan the QR Code displayed on the web app page to login.

Since WhatsApp main structure of signing is based on user’s number and SMS verification, so it is necessary that user scans the QR Code from his/her device.

There is no Apple Mac OS version though for WhatsApp. According to WhatsApp, there are certain platform limitations due to which there is no Mac OS version.