You can finally use WhatsApp on your desktop, and here’s how to set it up

It’s been a long time coming but it’s finally here. WhatsApp, which is by far the most popular instant messaging service on the mobile can now be used on the desktop. The feature, that was seen in leaks earlier, lets you use the service from the comfort of your desktop, and works via a web client though the browser. The web client syncs all your WhatsApp contacts, and mirrors all chat conversations from your phone, allowing full functionality including sending and receiving media files.

If you’re an iPhone user though, you’re out of luck… as WhatsApp for Web, as it’s called, isn’t available for you due to the restrictions imposed by the iOS platform. Users of Android, Windows Phone, BlackBerry, BB 10 and Nokia S60 platforms can use it, and will need the latest version of WhatsApp installed on their smartphones for it to work. On the desktop side, the only requirement is Google Chrome (the only browser that seems to be supported for now)…. which means that both PC and Mac users can jump right in.

Let’s run you through the simple steps required to set up WhasApp for Web. Install the Google Chrome browser on your Windows PC or Mac if you don’t have it already, and point it to https://web.whatsapp.com. You’ll see a QR code that will need be scanned via the WhatsApp app on your smartphone.

Once you have the latest version of WhatsApp installed on your phone, you’ll see an option called ‘WhatsApp Web’ in the menu. Tapping it will allow you to scan the QR code on your desktop screen, and will set up things for you automagically. Of course, both your phone and your desktop should be connected to the web for this to work. You can also choose to enable desktop notifications for incoming messages from the same Chrome window.

Once the two devices (your smartphone and desktop) have been paired using this process, all your previous messages (including emoticons, images and videos), chat threads and groups get synced with the web client, and show up on a neat two-paned interface on the browser.

The new feature should give a massive fillip to the already popular chat service, which boasts over 700 million users around the globe. The new feature may or may not excite the large majority who mainly use it on their phones on-the-go, but others who’re chained to their desks for work and other stuff should definitely be jumping with joy right now. And as far as the next big thing from WhatsApp is concerned, we still have the upcoming voice-calling functionality to look forward to.