There might be times when you are charging your phone or when you can’t use your phone due to certain reasons. However, it so happens that you still have to use your WhatsApp. This is when you can actually use Watsapp Web. Read ahead to know more about WhatsApp Web.
image source: www.freepik.com
What is WhatsApp Web?
WhatsApp Web is a browser version of the popular app that you use on your phone. It is basically an extension of your mobile phone WhatsApp account. The desktop version of WhatsApp Web comes in two types:
You can either download the system app for Mac and Windows or you can operate directly from your web browser.
Since it is an extension of your mobile app account, your messages on the phone are completely synced with your computer. So, you can view your conversations on any device. It is nothing but a mirror version of your mobile app. Hence, you are required to keep your phone switched on while using it. Let’s now look at how you can use WhatsApp Web.
How to use it on a Browser?
Using WhatsApp Web is quite easy. Follow these simple steps:
- Open the browser of your choice on your computer.
- Visit www.web.whatsapp.com
- Hit enter
- You will then be asked to scan the QR code that has appeared on the screen
- On an Android phone, you can OPEN WHATSAPP –> TAP ON THE 3 VERTICAL DOTS ICON –> SELECT WHATSAPP WEB
- On an iPhone, you can OPEN WHATSAPP –> TAP ON SETTINGS –> TAP ON WHATSAPP WEB
- Scan the QR code that is visible on your computer screen.
- WhatsApp Web is now active on your system. Enjoy!
You can also watch a video on operating WhatsApp web here.
What Can You Do Now That It’s Active?
You can enjoy the experience of your mobile WhatsApp on your computer screen. Following are a few more things that you can do:
- Pick a contact you want to talk to and open the contact’s chat thread.
- Start a new chat by clicking on the new chat icon.
image source: https://bit.ly/2B9DIZi
However, keep in mind that your WhatsApp Web can only work if your phone, that has your account is switched on with an active internet facility.
How to use it as an App?
If you don’t want to always go to your web browser and load WhatsApp Web every time you shut the browser, then downloading an app for your desktop is a wonderful idea. To know how to download the app, follow the steps given below:
- On your computer, visit the site www.whatsapp.com/download
- Press ‘enter’
- You will find the Download WhatsApp for Mac or Windows PC
- Then click on the green download button under the ‘download on WhatsApp for Mac or Windows PC’. Another great thing here is that the website will automatically detect whether you are using a Mac or Windows PC, so you don’t have to look for a particular version for your system.
- After your file is downloaded, you can install it in your system.
- Once you open it, you’ll see a QR code.
- Scan the QR code from your WhatsApp on the phone.
- On an Android phone, you can OPEN WHATSAPP –> TAP ON THE 3 VERTICAL DOTS ICON –> SELECT WHATSAPP WEB
- On an iPhone, you can OPEN WHATSAPP –> TAP ON SETTINGS –> TAP ON WHATSAPP WEB
- Remember to click on the ‘keep me signed in’ option before scanning the QR code. This will enable you to directly sign in without scanning the QR code, every time you use the app.
What to do with your phone while using it?
Well, for one, your WhatsApp Web won’t work if you keep your phone, with which your computer is synced, is switched off. You need to keep your phone switched on with a strong internet connection. After connecting on WhatsApp Web, you won’t log out even if you have shut your browser or turned off your system. So every time you visit the website web.whatsapp.com, your chats will open.
Another good thing is that you don’t need to keep your phone stuck to the device on which the WhatsApp Web is working. Even if the phone is quite far away from the device, your WhatsApp Web would work fine.
How can you edit your WhatsApp profile?
It’s very simple. The process is quite similar to the phone. Follow the steps given below:
- To change profile photo – Open WhatsApp Web on your PC’s browser or desktop app –> Click on your profile icon at the top –> Click on your profile picture –> Click on upload photo or take photo depending on your choice.
- To change/add your name – Below your profile picture, you will see a space to edit –> Click on the pencil icon to edit.
- To change/add about – Below your name, you can see the ‘About’ section –> Click on the pencil icon to edit.
- To change/add status – The WhatsApp Status option is quite restricted. You can’t post or update the statuses. Though you can check your contact’s status stories. Click on the status icon next to your profile picture –> click on any contact to view his/her status.
How to make voice and video calls on Watsapp Web?
While you can chat, share photos, and videos with your loved ones, voice, and video calling is not possible here. WhatsApp is yet to launch that feature. However, it’s not entirely impossible to make video or voice calls without external help.
You can log in to Bluestacks and download the app in your Windows or Mac system. Bluestacks is a very popular Android emulator for computers. You can read in detail about it here.
image source: https://bit.ly/2CCg2wV
How can you download media from WhatsApp Web?
You can’t download all the media files through WhatsApp Web. It’s possible to download photos, videos, and audio files but there is no option to download all the files together. You would have to click on the respective file to download it.
How can you stop auto-download?
Just like there is no option to download all the media files from WhatsApp Web, there is also no option to auto-download media files. So, you can be free from the tension of congesting your storage with many unwanted media files.
What else can you know about WhatsApp Web?
There are a few more interesting things that you can do here. Let’s have a look at them:
- You can archive, delete, or pin your chat. Select a contact –> Click on the downward-facing arrow –> You’ll find available options –> Select any one option from archiving/deleting/pinning your chat. Pinned chats are the ones that appear at the top of your list. You can easily pin up to 3 chats. Archiving your chats will hide them.
- You can block your contacts too and view your block list. Open a contact’s chat window –> Click on the contact’s name –> Scroll down –> Click Block. To unblock a contact –> Click on the vertical three dots icon –> Click on Settings –> Click Blocked.
- You can change the chat wallpaper from default to the wallpaper of your choice. To change click on the vertical three dots icon –> Click on settings –> Click on Chat Wallpaper –> Select the color of your choice. However, the options for changing the wallpaper are limited to only the colors offered. You can’t change the photo of your choice through WhatsApp Web. It’s only possible to do that from your phone.
- You can also mute a contact’s or group’s notifications here. To mute, open the contact’s chat –> Click on the contact’s name –> Open the contact info –> Click on mute notifications –> Select the duration you want the notifications to me mute for. The option is valid until a period of 1 year.
- If you don’t want to mute a specific person’s notifications but turn off the alerts and sounds altogether, that’s possible too. Click on the vertical three dots icon –> Click on Settings –> Click on Notifications –> Uncheck all the options as per your requirements.
A few tips and tricks that you would love
With a few keyboard shortcuts, you can actually become a typing ninja and use the WhatsApp Web to its fullest extent. Let us look at them below:
How can you use the WhatsApp Keyboard Shortcuts?
- Ctrl + N: To start a new chat
- Ctrl + Shift + ]: To start next chat
- Ctrl + Shift + [: To view the previous chat
- Ctrl + E: To archive chat
- Ctrl + Shift + M: To mute chat
- Ctrl + Backspace: To delete chat
- Ctrl + Shift + U: To mark as unread
- Ctrl + Shift + N: To create new group
- Ctrl + P: To open profile status
You can read about Mac keyboard shortcuts here.
You can read about Windows keyboard shortcuts here.
How can you use the WhatsApp emoji shortcuts?
Who doesn’t love to liven their chats? Emojis are a good way. You can apply emoji shorts cuts instead of hunting for emojis from the emoji icon list. You will save a lot of your time, with this. Let us look at how this can be done:
In your regular text box, type a colon (:) along with the first 2 letters of the word that you want to express. This is what a [ :ha ] gave to me from the emo-list.
Here is the list of various WhatsApp emojis that you can try while typing shortcuts. It’s fun!
How can you change emoticons to emojis:
Some emojis don’t even need the colon and letters. You can use the classic text emoticons and WhatsApp Web automatically converts them. Look at the full list of emoticons that you can use:
image source: https://bit.ly/38fsS09
How do you search for the chats?
You can press Ctrl + F keys to search your chats. As soon as this is pressed, your cursor will move to a box. You can then start typing the terms that you’re searching for, in that box.
How can you format your text?
You can draw your reader’s attention by changing the format of the text that you’re typing. WhatsApp Web has shortcut features that can make your text format bold or italic.
Let’s have a look at them:
- Asterisks for bold –> *hola*
- Underscore for italics –> _Morning_
- Tilde for strikethrough –> ~Fine~
- 3 backticks for font change –> “`Wow“`
You can read more about the tips and tricks here.
The Parting Words:
WhatsApp introduced its web version on January 21, 2015. It has worked quite well since those 5 years especially if you want to use it for simple tasks like chatting or sending media. Although the web version is handy, it has many limitations. It would be a good change if the web version is frequently updated and also made web friendly like it is mobile friendly.
Comments