How to use WhatsApp Web

Step 1: On your Android phone, launch WhatsApp and select the three dots in the upper-right of the Chat page.

Step 2: Select Linked devices and then select Link a device. Use your fingerprint or enter your device passcode if prompted.

Step 3: Hold your phone up to the QR code on your computer to pair it.

Step 4: Your smartphone account is now linked to the web version of the app. The WhatsApp page in your browser should refresh immediately to log into WhatsApp and show your current list of chats.

Signing in to WhatsApp Web is typically done by scanning a QR code on your iPhone or Android phone. If that’s not doable, you can also link by entering the phone number of your WhatsApp account, which will give you an eight-digit code to key into WhatsApp on your phone to authenticate the link instead. However, the steps are otherwise the same in either case.

WhatsApp Web is as easy to use as the mobile app, and the interface will look familiar.

Step 1: To send a message from your desktop, click on an existing chat or click on the New chat icon and select the contact you wish to interact with. Here, you can see previous chats, if they are saved, or alternately see the message bar at the bottom.

Step 2: Click on the Type a message bar and start chatting.

Step 3: When you’re done with your message, click the Enter key on your keyboard to transmit — or just click on the Send icon.

Step 4: If you want to include documents, images, or recordings, just attach the files from your desktop and send them as you would any other message by clicking on the paper clip Attach icon at the bottom of the current chat.

Once you’ve logged into WhatsApp Web, your browser will remain logged in and associated with your account until you explicitly log out. However, since logging out will require you to use your phone to sign back in, you be hesitant to do that since you’ll have no way of getting at your messages unless your smartphone is available and online.

Fortunately, you don’t need to sign out to keep your private messages away from prying eyes. Instead, you can enable a Screen Lock feature in WhatsApp Web that will keep your browser signed in and linked to your account while requiring a password to unlock it.

Step 1: In WhatsApp Web, select the three-dot menu above your chat list and choose Settings.

Step 2: From the Settings menu, select Privacy, and then scroll down and select Screen Lock.

Step 3: Select the check box beside Screen lock to enable this feature.

Step 4: When prompted, enter and confirm the password you’d like to use to secure WhatsApp Web, and select OK.

Step 5: Choose the period of inactivity that needs to elapse before WhatsApp automatically locks the screen.

Once screen lock is enabled, you can also lock the screen at any time by selecting Lock screen from the main three-dot menu. Screen lock replaces the Log out option on this menu; you can still log out rom the Settings menu if you need to log out of your WhatsApp Web session entirely.

Note that a screen lock password applies only to the current WhatsApp Web session in whatever browser you’re using. It’s not shared with other devices, and will need to be set up again if you log out and log back in later.

After scanning the QR code, you can view your WhatsApp chat list directly on the web page. On the left, you can see your chats by clicking a contact to open the chat and your message history, if you saved it.

On the top-left of the web page, three icons are available: Status, New chat, and Menu, which offers a list of nested options. The Status option reveals all statuses posted by your contacts, along with the ability to respond from the reply area at the bottom of the pane. Clicking New chat opens the contacts list on the left side of the page. From here, you can create a new group or begin a conversation.

The three-dot drop-down menu lets you create a new group, change information in your profile, search archived chats, view starred messages, change settings like notifications and chat wallpaper, or log out.

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