WhatsApp knew how to arrive at the right time and offer users what they wanted at a time of transition. Thanks to this, it has become the most widely used instant messaging application worldwide. Currently owned by Facebook, millions of messages, photos and videos pass through its servers with end-to-end encryption that, in theory, protects our privacy.
WhatsApp was designed to be used on mobile devices exclusively. Currently we can only use this messaging client on Android devices, iOS and in the latest versions of Windows Phone.
However, just as we can use Telegram from the PC , WhatsApp also allows us to communicate with our contacts from a Windows 10 computer. Of course, due to the limitations of its protocol, in order to use the messaging client from the computer it is necessarily have the mobile nearby, on and connected to the Internet, as the messages will continue to be sent through it. Although we write them with the keyboard of our computer.
Different ways to use WhatsApp from Windows 10
WhatsApp Web, the most comfortable
The developers of this messaging client created a tool, WhatsApp Web, especially thinking that users could control this messaging client from the computer. As the name implies, this client is in web format, so to use it we must simply use any browser, type the URL web.whatsapp.com in the address bar and that's it.
To identify ourselves it is necessary to scan a QR code with our mobile and, from that moment, we can already write in the browser and receive the new messages on our PC. Of course, we must have the mobile nearby, because, as we have explained, it acts as a bridge and is mandatory to send and receive chats. If we do not have the mobile nearby and connected, WhatsApp Web will not work.
Download WhatsApp Desktop for Windows
If we do not want to use this web version, it is also possible to use the official application of this messaging client to chat from our computer. On the company's website we can find the versions for Windows (necessary Windows 8 or higher), as well as the version for macOS.
As with WhatsApp Web, it is necessary to have the messaging client installed on our mobile. And this must be close and connected to the Internet. Otherwise, we will not be able to send messages through it.
The WhatsApp application for Windows is also based on the Web version, but instead of needing the browser to use it, it can be run using only this application. We will have some improvements in performance and notifications, but in broad strokes it is the same.
WhatsApp Desktop for Windows 10
If we are Windows 10 users, instead of downloading the previous application we can opt for the UWP version of WhatsApp Desktop. This application is completely free for all users and is also based on the Web version, but without needing a browser to run it.
Like the previous ones, to use this tool it is also necessary to have our mobile phone close and connected to the Internet.
How to use WhatsApp on the PC without depending on the mobile
Absolutely all current messaging clients, such as Skype, Telegram, Line, Hangouts or Google Allo, among many others, work smoothly without using the mobile as a bridge. If we install any of these applications on our PC, or on a tablet, we can use it independently. And also, everything is synchronized in real time with all the devices where we are logged in.
However, it is not possible to use WhatsApp on the PC independently. At least for now.
We do not know why, despite being the most used and most resource messaging client (owned by Facebook) it does not do things well. The only way to use this messaging client from the computer is to use the mobile as a bridge. Either with the web version or with WhatsApp Desktop, which after all, is also based on the web version but with another frontend.
