How to Install and Use WhatsApp Desktop Client in Linux

Want to us WhatsApp on your Linux desktop? Here are a few ways to do that.

Hugely popular messaging app WhatsApp surprisingly doesn’t provide a desktop client. However, the good part is that they took the issue into consideration and launched WhatsApp Web.

WhatsApp had launched its web version back in 2015, and you can access WhatsApp on the desktop using Google Chrome and your phone’s network connection (either phone data or WiFi).

While WhatsApp Web works in a pretty great way. But there are some users who would want to have a dedicated desktop client installed on their computer. However, sadly as of now there is no official WhatsApp client available.

But there are some third-party apps like Whatsdesk and Franz are available, and you can use it to run WhatsApp on your Linux distribution. Let me show you all of the methods.

Using WhatsApp on desktop Linux

Note: All of the methods will require you to connect your phone and your Linux computer to the internet, else it will not work.

Method 1: Install unofficial Whatsapp desktop client Whatsdesk on Linux

Whatsdesk is an easy to use unofficial WhatsApp client for Linux. The WhatsApp client was developed by Gustavo Gonzalez, and the code is available on Gitlab.

Whatsdesk pretty much works the same way as WhatsApp web. However, the only difference is that you are getting a dedicated WhatsApp installed on your Linux machine.

You can install Whatsdesk on your Linux computer by following a couple of methods. However, the easiest option is to install it using Terminal. 

Open Terminal by pressing CTRL + ALT + T simultaneously.

Over here, you have to run the below command:

sudo snap install whatsdesk

Once installed, go to the menu and search for Whatsdesk and launch the client from there.

Finally, you have to scan the QR code from your smartphone, and you will get logged into your WhatsApp Account.  

Method 2: Use WhatsApp Web (in a web browser)

First, go to WhatsApp Web using a web browser, and you will get to see a QR code.

Next, launch WhatsApp app from your Android or iOS device and go to Menu > WhatsApp Web.

Simply scan the QR code from your phone, and you will be able to start using WhatsApp from your Desktop.

Method 3: Use Franz for using WhatsApp on Linux (desktop for app to integrate a number of messaging apps)

Franz is a messaging app for WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Slack, Telegram, and other social media platforms and apps. It is a single platform that allows you to add different services as many times as you want.

So it would be really easy for you to manage multiple business and private accounts at the same. Getting started with Franz is absolutely easy. Plus, you can download the software free of cost for your Linux, Windows, and Mac.

To get started with Franz, follow these below steps:

Go to Franz’s download page and download the software for Ubuntu. Once you download the package, you have to install Franz in Linux.

Once installed, click on “Create a free account” and sign up for an account.

Then click on the Get Started Button and click on WhatsApp.

Check out all the settings and save service.

Once the service is added, then from the top navigation menu, go to View and Reload Franz.

After that, you will get to see the WhatsApp QR code, which you have to scan from your Android or iOS device and you are all done.

That’s it. I hope you liked these methods of installing and using WhatsApp on desktop Linux.