WhatsApp Now Has a Desktop App, Available on Windows, OS X

WhatsApp is now also available as a native desktop app on Windows and OS X, the Facebook-owned instant messaging and voice calling company announced. The app supports desktop notifications, keyboard shortcuts and a range of other features. For the desktop app to function, users still need to have their phone connected to the Internet.

WhatsApp isn't very popular in the United States and European countries, but it has a large user base of active users in the emerging markets such as India and Brazil. In fact, earlier this year, the company announced that it has hit one billion monthly active users. For those interested, you can download the app for your desktop (or any other device) from the company's website.

Comments

Almost like Telegram

[Maquis196]

Telegram has had desktop apps (including Linux) for a while now, including the obligatory web front end which I find invaluable at work. It says Whatsapp isn't popular in Europe? I don't know about the mainland but everyone I know in the UK uses Whatsapp, technical and non-technical alike. Telegram is slowly being pushed onto my friends, but critical mass is a hard thing to break.

 

Not very popular in European countries?

[Anonymous Coward]

If WhatsApp is "not very popular in European countries", how is it that every German I know uses it (and it already had 30 million users two years ago in a country of 80 million people)?

Re:Useless

[LichtSpektren]

For the desktop app to function, users still need to have their phone connected to the Internet.

So what's the point of a desktop program if it requires a smartphone?

So you don't have to pick up your phone repeatedly while you're on your desktop.

Re:Useless

[psmears]

And if the web version does not require a smartphone then why the hell would a proper program require one?

The web one does require a smartphone, too.