No need to download anything - just use the website https://web.whatsapp.com

Use Telegram instead, truly cross-platform with no restrictions, free software, encrypted etc. Also not owned by Facebook which is always a good thing.

Whatsapp are horrible, people have tried to make alternative clients for it and have had their work stopped by this malicious company. If they want to put a stop to people writing alternative clients for them for free, how can you trust them? What are they doing with your data? Are they spying on you?

It's a Windows application, not a PC application since it only runs on one of the many operating systems available on a PC

Better link here so you can see what you're actually downloading Download Page
Press release link Press Release

The web extension sucks 200MB, look in your web browser memory usage with, without extension?

Thanks OP, never knew you could use it on a PC :smiley:

using the site a bit better, although finding telegram somewhat better these days. not sure it's as popular though!

No need to be pedantic about it being tied to the number or sim. It's the same either way. You can't authenticate to the app just by typing in your number. Otherwise I could just setup my whatsapp to receive your messages. But it doesn't quite work that way does it?

Kol!

Tied to your SIM card?? What utter tripe. It uses your phone number - nothing else - otherwise the hacked APKs when run on a tablet wouldn't run at all - as it'd be looking for SIM details when in fact it simply asks for your phone number.
Quite why you personally decided to exaggerate what it does to get your point across is baffling.

FYI Hot but

Stick to the Web extension

If you download this, it will suck around 200mb RAM.

sorry i forgot you posted it as a gesture to remind other people! pointless comment

available for ages!

Would you use a free 3rd party app for your banking? Would you like your bank to stop people from making a 3rd party N4TWEST banking app that looks like the real thing (same colour scheme, same icons etc)?

Why? Because the 3rd party app would be interfacing with your banks servers but could potentially intercept your details in between (ie save your account details or email it some dodgy russian server)

Makes you wonder why whatsapp stops 3rd party app developers....

Agreed, talk about overkill!

No. Just no.

You want to emulate a whole android OS on your PC just to run whatsapp. When you could just open a browser tab and go to web.whatsapp.com.

Because whatsapp is tied to your SIM card via your phone number, your PC does not know your SIM card details, your phone does. By scanning that code on your phone you are authorising the PC/web version to use your phone to send messages.

They could eliminate the barcode scanning step, but then they would have to setup usernames/passwords for whatsapp users, which to date they've not done for the conveniences of the users just installing the app and using it without setting up an account. This was one of the reasons whatsapp became so popular, so to get people to setup accounts now seems overkill.

Besides scanning a code is marginally faster than remember account details, and typing them in.

Also I would like to add: to use telegram - I would have to get all of my contacts on telegram, which isn't going to happen any time soon. So then I would have 2 apps on my phone with some of my contacts using whatsapp and a select few on telegram. More hassle then is worth.

I don't feel the need to support telegram enough to cut ties with my whatsapp using friends/family. I'd rather be just using what the majority use.

Bluestacks emulator with the app from google store is much better on a PC

"without the need for a smartphone"

Well that's wrong since you still need to have your phone on with signal.

Is this not just mirroring?

Not sure what to think of this, as it seems to work in exactly the same way as "WhatsApp Web". Not voting either way, but I would have made it hot if it were to work independently of one's handset.

Re: Telegram - I would prefer to use that as well, but unfortunately it's a bit useless if your contacts don't have Telegram, unlike WhatsApp which has been more widely adopted.

Another vouch for Telegram. Proper PC app and has the incrediblyuseful reply feature!

not "old news" to me - i wasn't aware of this,. so i've installed it now.

Old news
And how is this a hot deal?

You have got to ask yourself why they do not have a button to turn it off on your phone.
Permanently using your data when it is on, with no quick way to stop it.
Cr*pApp is what is should be called.

WhatsApp is encrypted as well now. Most people won't care if whatsapp records their convos even if they were able to / lied about encryption.

Maybe to stop those "people" who make apps and infect it and then log the messages themselves or have viruses in? I'd trust a official app over something from a random person any day.

Thanks. So this is a standalone pc application?

cheers

heat added, didn't know this. waiting on it to be available on Android tablet. use it all the time on phone.

Thanks

No need to download anything - just use the website https://web.whatsapp.com

I am wondering why I need to download a 60MB file for this when I can just go to http://web.whatsapp.com?

I've been using this for ages, it's really handy bit I find that I have to keep opening whatsapp on my phone so that my pc will reconnect - it keeps randomly dropping off.

I agree , Viber can be used on a pc independent of the phone , you just need the phone once to set up web interface, thereafter the web version still works even when the apps uninstalled /deleted from the handset

what's the point if you need to use the smart phone to scan a code

Been using this for a while now...awesome! Im always on my PC...win win!

FYI:

If you have previously used the Chrome Web extension - it's the same thing


This requires you to scan a QR code and you phone MUST be connected/online too.


Nevertheless HEAT!

cheers, updated, forgot about mac users etc etc, my bad.


abit rubbish if your phone has to be on all the time, thanks for info I have not tested it yet just seen it on google news.

Better link here so you can see what you're actually downloading Download Page
Press release link Press Release