WhatsApp Web for desktop users needs OR Code scanning to be done
WhatsApp recently announced of its launch of WhatsApp Web – debuting the popular phone messaging app on desktop, non-mobile platforms. For the first time WhatsApp would be available on Web browser making it a more convenient and reliable messaging app. The Web client is just an extension of the phone app where messages and conversations from mobile device get mirrored on the Web browser.
WhatsApp’s current status:
WhatsApp has now become ridiculously popular with about more than 700 million monthly active users around the world with people relying more on the app than anything else. The fact that it only accessible on phone is something that people did not like it about. And WhatsApp Web is what it makes it accessible on PC’s too. For those who do not wish to shuffle between phone and PC while at work, this WhatsApp Web is like “Wow” to them.
Requirements to use WhatsApp Web:
WhatsApp Web can be accessed only via Google Chrome where a QR code needs to be scanned on the desktop screen via the mobile WhatsApp app. So users need to install barcode reading app on their mobile. Also this becomes possible on only using the WhatsApp’s latest version on Windows Phone, BlackBerry or Android. Those using WhatsApp on iPhone or trying to use a browser other than Chrome on PC’s, there are for sure to be out of luck.
How WhatsApp Web works?
Now given the question of how this WhatsApp Web works, per reports though at first it might seem to be a hack the end result is that it works surprisingly well. With the WhatsApp Web supporting updated Android app, the below were found.
The first important step required to have WhatsApp working inside the browser is to get the latest version of WhatsApp for Windows Phone, BlackBerry, Android or Nokia S60 that supports WhatsApp Web.
Before proceeding further look in the respective apps for the WhatsApp Web option, the WhatsApp Webwebsite guides where to find the option inside each app.
For Android users, it is mandatory to use 2.11.498 version or later.
To know the WhatsApp version being used, one has to open the app and go to menu ->Settings->Help ->About.
Next is to open up the WhatsApp Webwebsite on desktop Google Chrome. WhatsApp Web will only work on Google Chrome and will not be accessible on any other browser – be it Firefox, Internet Explorer or Safari.
Once the loading of the WhatsApp Web page gets finished, a QR code will be shown on the top left side of the screen. This QR code needs to be scanned using the WhatsApp app on mobile devices.
Scanning the QR code can be done using the phone’s camera.
Once the QR code is scanned, instantly all recent WhatsApp conversations starts getting into the desktop Chrome.
WhatsApp Web works only on Google Chrome
It is obvious to wonder if the QR code generated each time being unique and by scanning it with phone the current WhatsApp Web session gets associated with the one on the phone from where WhatsApp is logged into. Now what exactly happens is the phone reading the QR code transmits the session ID and other related information to WhatsApp servers. The WhatsApp servers establish the pairing between the phone and the WhatsApp Web session. This turns out to be an elegant and stylish solution for services that don’t have username/ passwords and requires no resorting of things like secure tokens to be inserted manually or like one-time passwords. Finally QR codes find their way of usage.
The user interface of WhatsApp Web looks familiar to all WhatsApp users. So joining with existing conversations or initiating new ones becomes easy. The WhatsApp Web UI supports features like delivery and read receipts while also sharing pictures (available or captured on the desktop) and voice messages are supported without the need to reach out to the phone.
Notable fact here is that WhatsApp Web utilizes the user’s phone network connection for sending and receiving messages thereby making it needy to have the user’s phone connected to Internet throughout – that could be either via cellular data or Wi-Fi. So this makes WhatsApp Web different from other messaging apps like Viber and Skype where every device uses its own connection to the servers. This makes WhatsApp all time having ‘mobile first’.
Initiating WhatsApp Web sessions from multiple computers is possible, but at a time only one can be active given the possibility of wrest controlling other sessions. Concerning security, WhatsApp lists out its WhatsApp Web sessions connected at any point of time thus letting its users log out of all sessions with just one click on its mobile app.
Advantages:
To discuss on the advantages of this WhatsApp Web, it being usable on desktop where typing could be done fast using keyboard sending messages becomes fast and easy. Using bring screen watching videos and reading messages become pleasant. Notifications can be diverted to the desktop. By scanning bar code once is to stay until logging out.
Disadvantages:
Moving over to its disadvantages, prominent ones could be using it on shared or public desktops with not logging out promptly might end up with ugly happenings. It being restricted only to Chrome browser is not something good. iPhone users are missed out. Double data gets consumed while being used on phone as well as on desktop with only the phones data network being consumed for both device usage. Also this might turn out to be a spy tool.
Double data gets consumed while being used on phone as well as on desktop
Conclusion:
On the whole, WhatsApp Web though seems to be like a hack initially with its QR codes and the way of using them is sure to offer a complete WhatsApp experience on PC as well provided the browser platform used on the desktop is Google Chrome. So even busy at work one can still enjoy forwarding those interesting and thoughtful WhatsApp forwards except for the ones who work with iPhone. But the iPhone users can still relax as Jan Koum, CEO and co-founder of WhatsApp says that for now providing Web client for iOS users is not possible due to the limitations put forth by Apple to its platform.
What more, though using QR codes are to be hated, using WhatsApp while at work without using mobile phones seems to be interesting and fun.
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