WhatsApp Web on Mac

Set it up

1. On the Mac open web.whatsapp.com in Safari, Chrome, Firefox or Edge. A QR code appears.

2. On the phone open WhatsApp. iPhone: Settings, Linked devices, Link device. Android: three dots, Linked devices, Link a device.

3. Confirm with Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode if asked, and scan the code.

4. Optional, in Safari on macOS Sonoma or later: File, Add to Dock turns WhatsApp Web into a web app with its own Dock icon and window.

Browser or the Mac app?

The free WhatsApp Messenger app in the Mac App Store (macOS 12.1 or newer) links the same way and shows the same chats. Choose it for calls from the Mac (up to 32 people, with screen sharing), for call notifications even when the app is closed, and for its longer message history, up to three years. Choose WhatsApp Web on a Mac that is not yours, when you would rather not install anything, or when you want the password app lock, which the Mac app does not have yet. Linking with a phone number instead of the QR code also works in WhatsApp Web only. Details: WhatsApp Web vs WhatsApp Desktop.

Everyday use on a Mac

• Send files and photos: drag them from Finder or Photos into the chat, or paste a screenshot with Cmd + V.
• Screenshots straight to the clipboard: Cmd + Ctrl + Shift + 4, then paste into the chat.
• Emoji: Ctrl + Cmd + Space opens the macOS emoji picker in the message box.
• Shortcuts: in a browser, WhatsApp Web uses Cmd + Ctrl combinations; the Mac app uses plain Cmd ones, such as Cmd + N for a new chat. Both tables are on keyboard shortcuts.
• Voice messages: allow the microphone when the browser asks; if you denied it, re-enable it in System Settings, Privacy & Security, Microphone.

Notifications on macOS

1. Click Turn on desktop notifications in the banner above your chat list and allow it. In Safari you can review the permission under Safari, Settings, Websites, Notifications.

2. Open System Settings, Notifications and check your browser, or WhatsApp if you use the app.

3. Check that no Focus mode is silencing them.

Calls from a Mac

The Mac app makes voice and video calls with up to 32 people, with call links and screen sharing. WhatsApp announced voice and video calling in WhatsApp Web on 28 July 2026: one-to-one and group calls, screen sharing and a Calls tab, in Chrome, Edge, Safari and Firefox. It is rolling out gradually, so the call buttons may not have reached your account yet; until they do, the desktop apps can call.