WhatsApp Web is the browser version of WhatsApp, found at web.whatsapp.com. You link it to your phone by scanning a QR code, then read and send messages, photos, files and voice notes from a computer. Most chat features match the phone app, but some settings and features differ, and the table below shows which.
Since WhatsApp introduced multi-device support, a linked browser keeps working with your phone switched off. Your phone still has to go online at least once every 14 days, or WhatsApp logs your linked devices out.
What Exactly is WhatsApp Web
WhatsApp Web lets you use WhatsApp in your browser, so you can read and write messages and send files from a PC. That’s useful when you’re working at the computer, because you don’t have to keep picking up your phone.
Compared with the phone app, WhatsApp Web covers nearly everything: text, voice notes, photos, video, documents, contacts and stickers. What’s missing or limited is mostly account settings and, depending on your version, calls and location sharing.
Because linked devices run independently of your phone, you can use WhatsApp Web even when the phone is off or out of reach. That’s a change from the early version, which needed the phone online the whole time.
How to Set Up WhatsApp Web with Your Phone
Linking WhatsApp Web to your account takes a few steps and one QR code. Go to web.whatsapp.com, WhatsApp’s official web page. A QR code appears, and you scan it with WhatsApp on your phone.
On your phone, open WhatsApp and find the menu. On Android, tap the three-dot button in the top right. On iPhone, tap the Settings tab. Then choose Linked Devices, where you manage every browser and desktop app connected to your account.
The Linked Devices screen lists each device where you’re signed in. If you’ve never linked one, the list is empty. To sign in on a new computer, tap Link a device.
Your phone’s rear camera opens a scanning frame. Point it at the QR code on the web page, and WhatsApp Web syncs with your account. If you can’t scan, choose the option to link with a phone number instead and enter the code WhatsApp shows you.
From then on, you see the same conversations as on your phone. Whatever you write on the web appears on the phone, and the other way round, because every linked device syncs with your account. Messages stay end-to-end encrypted on linked devices; how WhatsApp works and who can read your messages explains why.
WhatsApp vs. WhatsApp Web
| FUNCTION | WhatsApp Web | |
| SEND MESSAGES | Yeah | Yeah |
| SEND PICTURES | Yeah | Yeah |
| ADD FILTERS TO PHOTOS | Yeah | No |
| ADD COMMENTS TO PHOTOS | Yeah | Yeah |
| SEND MULTIPLE PHOTOS AT ONCE | Yeah | Yeah |
| SEND PHOTOS WITH THE CAMERA | Yeah | Yeah |
| SEND VIDEOS | Yeah | Yeah |
| SHARE DOCUMENTS | Yeah | Yeah |
| SHARE CONTACTS | Yeah | Yeah |
| SHARE LOCATION | Yeah | No |
| SHARE AUDIO | Yeah | No |
| SEND EMOJI | Yeah | Yeah |
| SEND GIFS | Yeah | Yeah |
| SEND STICKERS | Yeah | Yeah |
| SEND VOICE MESSAGES | Yeah | Yeah |
| VOICE CALLS | Yeah | Voice calls are best made from the WhatsApp desktop app for Windows or Mac. Check WhatsApp’s official Help Center for current browser support. |
| VIDEO CALLS | Yeah | Video calls are best made from the WhatsApp desktop app for Windows or Mac. Check WhatsApp’s official Help Center for current browser support. |
| TEMPORARY MESSAGES | Yeah | Yeah |
| SEE STATES | Yeah | Yeah |
| CREATE STATES | Yeah | Posting your own status from a browser depends on your current WhatsApp version. Check WhatsApp’s official Help Center for what WhatsApp Web supports. |
| SEARCH CONVERSATIONS AND CONTACTS | Yeah | Yeah |
| SEARCH WITHIN A CONVERSATION | Yeah | Yeah |
| EDIT YOUR PROFILE | Yeah | Yeah |
| EMPTY CONVERSATION | Yeah | Yeah |
| PIN CONVERSATION | Yeah | Yeah |
| ARCHIVE CONVERSATIONS | Yeah | Yeah |
| MUTE CONVERSATION | Yeah | Yeah |
| MARK AS UNREAD | Yeah | Yeah |
| SET PRIVACY | Yeah | No |
| CONFIGURE SECURITY | Yeah | No |
| SET NUMBER CHANGE | Yeah | No |
| CONFIGURE NOTIFICATIONS | Yeah | Yeah |
| SET WALLPAPER | Yeah | Yeah |
| SET BLOCKED | Yeah | Yeah |
| SET AUTOMATIC DOWNLOAD | Yeah | No |
| CHECK DATA USAGE | Yeah | No |
| ADD CONTACT | Yeah | No |
| CREATE GROUP | Yeah | Yeah |
| CREATE DIFFUSION | Yeah | No |
The table above compares WhatsApp with WhatsApp Web, feature by feature. Most features are in the browser, though a few important ones are missing. WhatsApp changes web features often, so confirm any row you depend on in your own browser.
The main chat functions are all there: the full set of WhatsApp emojis, a built-in search for animated GIFs, and voice messages for when you don’t feel like typing.
Sharing in chats works almost the same as on the phone. You can share contacts, stickers and documents. You can take a photo with your webcam and send it, or pick photos and videos from your computer’s storage. Sending your location is the one sharing option missing.
Calls are the other gap. For calls from a computer, use the WhatsApp desktop app for Windows or Mac instead, and check WhatsApp’s official Help Center to see whether WhatsApp Web now supports them.
WhatsApp Web isn’t limited to conversations. You can view other people’s statuses, open starred messages, start new chats and switch on dark mode. WhatsApp still does not offer a button to download other people’s statuses, though you can read our guide to saving WhatsApp statuses. Check WhatsApp’s official Help Center for whether you can post your own status from the browser.
In practice, the web client gives you the vast majority of what the phone app offers. Account-level settings such as privacy, security and number changes still live on the phone.
WhatsApp Web Multi-Device
WhatsApp Web is also one of several linked devices. You can link up to four devices to one account alongside your main phone, including a second phone or a tablet through its browser. The only downside is the hassle of using a browser on a small screen.
Multi-device is now the standard way WhatsApp Web works. Once you link the browser, it stays connected to WhatsApp’s servers, and you can use it with your phone turned off. The limit is time: if your phone doesn’t connect to the internet for about 14 days, WhatsApp logs your linked devices out and you scan the QR code again.
Is WhatsApp Web Safe on a Shared Computer?
WhatsApp Web is safe when you control the computer and log out when you’re done. Messages remain end-to-end encrypted, but anyone who sits at a logged-in browser can read your chats. On a work or public PC, skip it, or log out before you leave.
To check what’s connected, open Linked Devices on your phone. Tap any device you don’t recognize and choose Log out.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use WhatsApp Web without my phone?
Yes, after the first link. WhatsApp Web keeps working with your phone switched off. Your phone needs to connect to the internet at least once every 14 days, or WhatsApp logs the linked device out.
Can I make calls on WhatsApp Web?
The WhatsApp desktop app for Windows and Mac is the reliable route for calls from a computer. Check WhatsApp’s official Help Center for whether browser calling is available.
How do I log in to WhatsApp Web?
Open web.whatsapp.com on your computer. On your phone, go to Linked Devices, tap Link a device, and scan the QR code. If you can’t scan, link with a phone number and enter the code shown.
How many devices can I link to WhatsApp?
You can link multiple devices to one account in addition to your main phone. Each one works independently, including browsers, desktop apps and tablets. See WhatsApp’s Help Center for the current linked-device limit.
How do I log out of WhatsApp Web?
Open the menu in the browser and choose Log out. You can also open Linked Devices on your phone, tap the device and select Log out, which works even when you no longer have the computer.
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