Overview
The desktop client is a real application rather than a web page in a frame, which is the difference that shows up in daily use: it starts quickly, it uses far less memory, notifications arrive properly through the system, and it keeps working when the browser is closed. Messages, voice calls, video calls, file transfer and group conversations all run in it.
This is the standard installer with nothing added to it. It is here because a working messaging client is one of the first things installed on a fresh machine and because a surprising number of the copies circulating elsewhere have been repackaged with things that do not belong in them. Nothing has been changed, nothing bundled, and no telemetry has been added.
Setting it up and how linking works
The client links to an account rather than creating one. On first launch it shows a code that is scanned from the phone, after which the desktop is a linked device in its own right. Once linked it works whether the phone is on or off, which is the change that made the desktop client genuinely useful rather than a convenience while your phone was nearby.
Several devices can be linked to the same account at once and each one keeps its own message history locally. Unlinking is done from either end, and a device that has not connected for a long period is dropped automatically, which is the sensible behaviour for a machine you no longer have.
Messaging, calls and files
Everything is end to end encrypted, including group conversations and calls, and the desktop client is a full participant in that rather than a relay through the phone. Voice and video calls work with the machine's own microphone and camera, and screen sharing is available during a video call.
File transfer handles documents, images, video and audio up to the current size limit, with a drag and drop straight into a conversation. Media can be set to save automatically into a folder or left in the conversation only, which on a machine with limited space is worth deciding before a busy group fills the drive.
Notifications, privacy and keeping it quiet
Notifications go through the normal system mechanism, so they respect focus and quiet hours settings rather than fighting them. Per conversation muting works for a set period or indefinitely, and previews can be hidden so a message arrives as a notification without its content on a shared screen.
Privacy settings for read receipts, last seen and profile visibility are configured from the desktop as well as the phone and apply across all linked devices. The client can be stopped from starting with the machine, which it does by default and which is the first setting most people change.
What you get
- Native desktop application rather than a browser wrapper
- End to end encrypted messages, calls and group conversations
- Works independently of the phone once the device is linked
- Voice and video calling with screen sharing
- Drag and drop file transfer for documents, images, video and audio
- System notifications that respect focus and quiet hours
- Per conversation muting and hidden message previews
- Privacy settings configurable from the desktop across all linked devices
- Runs on both x64 and ARM64 machines
Inside the archive
- WhatsApp desktop installer for x64 and ARM64
- Language packs for the interface list shown above
- Notes on linking and unlinking devices
- Notes on turning off automatic start with the machine
System requirements
| Operating system | Windows 10 version 22H2 or Windows 11 |
|---|---|
| Processor | Any current x64 or ARM64 processor |
| Memory | 4 GB |
| Storage | 1 GB, more if media is saved automatically |
| Network | Required |
| Account | An existing account on a phone, for the initial link |
Installing it
- Run the installer. It does not need administrator rights on most machines.
- Open the client and scan the code shown, from the linked devices section on your phone.
- Decide whether media should save automatically before joining any busy group.
- Turn off start with the machine in settings if you do not want it running from boot.
- Set notification previews to hidden if the machine has a shared screen.
Mirrors
| Route | Region | Note | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| Direct, primary | Europe | No wait, resumable | Online |
| Direct, secondary | North America | No wait, resumable | Online |
| Torrent magnet | Global | Not needed at this size | Online |
Release history
- Reduced memory use on accounts with very large message histories
- Fixed screen sharing dropping on a display resolution change mid call
- Notification previews now respect the hidden setting on group messages
- ARM64 build brought to parity with the x64 build
- Faster search across long conversation histories
- Media auto save moved to a per conversation setting
- Fixed the client restarting on a network adapter change
Questions about this release
Does my phone need to be on?
No. Once the desktop is linked it works as a device in its own right, whether the phone is on or not.
Is this a browser wrapper?
No, it is the native client. It uses far less memory and starts far faster than the web version in a frame.
Can I link more than one computer?
Yes, several devices can be linked to the same account and each keeps its own local history.
How do I stop it starting with Windows?
Turn off the start with the machine option in settings. It is on by default.
Comments
Memory use is a fraction of keeping the web version open in a tab all day. That was the whole reason I switched.
ARM64 build runs properly on my laptop now, used to be noticeably behind.
Comments are read before they appear. If a build stops working, say so here and it gets rebuilt rather than quietly left up.
Clean installer, nothing bundled. Linked in about ten seconds and works with the phone switched off.