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  1. WhatsApp Web guide
  2. Web vs Desktop

WhatsApp Web guide

WhatsApp Web vs WhatsApp Desktop

Same account, same chats. WhatsApp Web is a browser tab and needs no install; WhatsApp Desktop is an app for Windows or Mac that runs without a browser and keeps more message history.

Published by Airtime Media ยท facts checked

The short version

  • On a computer that is not yours, on Linux or a Chromebook, or where you cannot install software: WhatsApp Web.
  • On your own Windows PC or Mac, if you want calls and notifications without keeping a tab open: the desktop app.
  • Not sure: start with Web. Switching later takes one QR scan.

Side by side

WhatsApp WebWhatsApp Desktop
What it isThe site web.whatsapp.com in a browserAn installed app for Windows or macOS
Works onWindows, macOS and Linux with the latest Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Opera or Safari (at least Chrome 100, Edge 100, Firefox 115, Opera 86, Safari 15)Windows 10 64-bit, version 1903 or newer; macOS 12.1 or newer
LoginQR code or phone-number codeQR code; the phone-number code works in the Windows app, not the Mac app
Needs the phone onlineNo, only while linking
NotificationsOnly while WhatsApp Web is open in the browserFrom the app; the Mac app can show call notifications even when it is closed
Voice and video callsAnnounced July 2026, still rolling outYes: calls with up to 32 people, call links, screen sharing
Message historyA recent partMore than Web; up to three years in the Mac app
App lock with a passwordYesWindows app yes, Mac app not yet
Code Verify checkYes, with Meta's browser extensionDoes not apply
Keyboard shortcutsCtrl + Alt combinationsShorter combinations (all three lists)
Backup and restoreNeither; backups are made on the phone
End-to-end encryptedYes, both

When WhatsApp Web is the better choice

  • Work, school, library or a friend's computer. Nothing to install, and with Stay logged in on this browser unticked the session ends when the browser closes.
  • Linux and Chromebooks, where there is no official app. WhatsApp's own answer for every other operating system is WhatsApp Web.
  • Two accounts on one computer: one per browser profile. WhatsApp Web cannot switch between accounts.
  • You live in the browser anyway and want WhatsApp as a pinned tab next to your mail.

When the desktop app is the better choice

  • Calls from the computer with your headset and webcam, for up to 32 people, with screen sharing in video calls.
  • Notifications without keeping a browser tab alive.
  • More history to search, especially on a Mac.
  • Your browser clears its data on exit and WhatsApp Web asks for a new scan every day.

What the Windows app is today

Since late 2025 the Windows app has been WhatsApp Web inside its own window rather than a separately built program, according to reporting by Windows Latest; WhatsApp has not commented. In practice the Windows app and WhatsApp Web now look and behave almost the same, and the app's main advantages are its own taskbar icon and not depending on a browser tab.

Where to get them

Avoid "WhatsApp for PC" downloads from other sites. The official apps are only in the two stores and on whatsapp.com/download.

The real WhatsApp Web: WhatsApp Web only exists at one address. Check the address bar before you scan anything.

Open web.whatsapp.com

That link leaves this site. We are an independent guide and cannot sign you in, see your chats or reset your account.

What changed, and when

  1. People without WhatsApp can join a call from a browser

    Anyone with a WhatsApp account can create a call link from the Calls tab and send it to someone who has no account. The guest opens it in a computer browser, types a name and waits for the host's approval; calls hold up to 32 people, and guests cannot send messages or see phone numbers. Source

  2. Voice and video calls arrive in WhatsApp Web

    WhatsApp announces calling in the browser: one-to-one and group calls, screen sharing and a Calls tab, rolling out gradually. Until then only the desktop apps could call. Source

  3. A media tab on Mac, Windows and Web

    Documents, links and media from all chats become searchable in one place on the desktop apps and WhatsApp Web. Source

  4. The Windows app becomes WhatsApp Web in a window

    According to Windows Latest, the Microsoft Store app is replaced by a version that loads WhatsApp Web inside a WebView2 container; users are logged out once and link again. WhatsApp has not commented. Report

  5. The rebuilt Mac app reaches the Mac App Store

    WhatsApp's new Mac app, built with Apple's Catalyst and offered as a direct download since August 2023, arrives in the Mac App Store and replaces the older Electron client, as reported by iDownloadBlog. Report

Every dated change we track: What's new in WhatsApp Web.

Questions people ask

Is WhatsApp Desktop the same as WhatsApp Web?

They are the same service with the same chats, reached two ways. WhatsApp Web runs in a browser tab at web.whatsapp.com. WhatsApp Desktop is an app you install from the Microsoft Store or the Mac App Store. Both are linked devices on your phone's account.

Is WhatsApp Desktop free and official?

Yes. The official apps are free and are published by WhatsApp in the Microsoft Store and the Mac App Store, and linked from whatsapp.com/download. Do not install "WhatsApp for PC" from anywhere else.

Can I use WhatsApp Web and WhatsApp Desktop at the same time?

Yes. Each counts as one of your four linked devices, and both receive every message.

Can I make calls from WhatsApp Web?

WhatsApp announced voice and video calling for WhatsApp Web on 28 July 2026, including group calls and screen sharing. It is rolling out gradually, so your account may not have it yet. The Windows and Mac apps can call today.

Which is safer on a shared computer?

WhatsApp Web, with "Stay logged in on this browser" unticked or in a private window, because the session ends when the browser closes. An installed app stays logged in for the next person until you log out.

Related guides

Sources

Checked against WhatsApp's own help pages in , and re-checked every month. WhatsApp changes its apps often; if a menu has moved, the official Help Center has the last word.