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How can I install WhatsApp in Ubuntu?

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Zanna
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hellBoy
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  • See this link: http://www.eurobytes.nl/tutorials/howto-install-whatsapp-and-viber-in-ubuntu-13.04#whatsapp hope this might help you – blade19899 Oct 08 '13 at 11:39
  • WhatsApp is a little different since it requires a mobile number to run, so although it is related to this one but cannot be considered as a duplicate. As far as this question is concerned, that one is about installing on Ubuntu Touch whereas this one is about installing on Ubuntu (the desktop), so cannot be considered as dupes at this point of time (maybe later after the convergence story comes out to be true) – Aditya Jan 02 '14 at 14:08

7 Answers7

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Whatsapp needs a phone number to function:

All WhatsApp accounts are tied to mobile phone numbers. Since it is common for phone numbers to be recycled by mobile providers, it is possible that the previous owner of your current phone number used WhatsApp.

What this means, that Whatsapp is tied to phones to work. If you don't use phones you don't get Whatsapp.

There are efforts to make Whatsapp work using a system account, of course you must already have an account with your phone, so, no, you can't have a independent account for your PC (unless you connect a SIM-Card to your computer).

Whatsapp has been creating clients for Windows, apart of their Web Whatsapp that requires a browser. Both limited in functionality and focused only on chats.

WhatsApp FAQ - Why is my phone number already in WhatsApp?

Zanna
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Braiam
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Since January 2015, users can use WhatsApp on the PC (Including Linux) from within their Chrome, Firefox, Opera or Safari Browser. So basically it is not WhatsApp for PC but WhatsApp for Web. There are limitations to using WhatsApp via Web, some of which are:

  • File Size Limits (Can not Upload 16+ MB Files)
  • File Format (Not all file formats are supported. This affects different type of video, images, sound and even document type files)

For the steps simply:

  1. Install WhatsApp on your Smartphone.
  2. Open the website https://web.whatsapp.com/
  3. On your Phone, open WhatsApp and open the main WhatsApp Menu. You will see a new option called "WhatsApp Web", select this option.
  4. Use the "WhatsApp Web" option to scan the QR code in the website mentioned on Step 2
  5. The webpage will update itself and show you a WebApp of your WhatsApp which includes your contacts, chats and more.

This is nowhere near what Telegram can do and offer in terms of full Linux Support, compatibility with the Desktop, with the desktop environment, downloading / uploading files and more. This also applies for old phones (With SMS only) and more.

Community
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Luis Alvarado
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    Whatsie is not available anymore on github – abumalick Dec 05 '16 at 20:23
  • @abuhurayra Thank you friend. Updated the whole article basically because of your comment. This is some of the reasons I only use Telegram. At work it is very important to me. – Luis Alvarado Dec 05 '16 at 22:02
  • Aren't limitations of the web version relative to the phone app (and not to the pc one, which has the same), the biggest being no phone and video?? – cipricus Apr 14 '20 at 09:35
  • Hi @cipricus,actually no. The web version could have done some different (look st telegram as an example) but they chose to put those limitations in a similar way as the phone ones. There are some server based limitations forced by the actual platform but other that are also enforced could have been done differently. That's why I don't rely nor use whatsapp. Just telegram. – Luis Alvarado Apr 14 '20 at 13:45
  • After trying for some time the desktop app (WALC, appimage), I find it much better than the web page; the former stays connected after scanning the code, while the latter disconnects often, asking for the phone app to be re-opened/accessed. – cipricus Apr 29 '20 at 21:20
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I think the best alternative today is to use whatsapp-linux which is an Electron wrapper for WhatsApp's web: https://web.whatsapp.com/

You can find the latest version in the Release section of GitHub: https://github.com/cstayyab/whatsapp-linux/releases

It comes handily packed as an AppImage, so it's as easy as downloading, changing the execution permissions of the file and running it.

Sebastian Cruz
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Steps for Whatsapp in Ubuntu 14.04:

Step1: Download Genymotion

Step2: Download VirtualBox

Step3: sudo dpkg -i virtualbox-4.3_4.3.12-93733~Ubuntu~raring_amd64.deb; sudo apt-get install -f

Step4: tar -xf genymotion-2.2.0_x64.bin; cd genytmotion; ./genymotion

Step5: Download image, run it and download WhatpsApp in the emulator

Step6: Register with your mobile number, you'll receive a code. Enter it after 5 minutes.

Working proof till step 5: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHmMDEzsJEY

Nehal J Wani
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This might be the Simplest Method to follow to install Whatsapp Client on Ubuntu or any other Linux Platform.

Min. Requirements: Google Chrome Installed on Ubuntu.

So, Let's get started.

  1. Download the Whatsapp Debian WebApp for Linux Platforms from Here: Whatsapp Ubuntu Download

  2. Open Terminal and Type the following commands:

    • $ cd Downloads
    • $ sudo chmod +x whatsapp-webapp_1.0_all.deb
    • $ sudo dpkg -i whatsapp-webapp_1.0_all.deb

You’re Done, Open the Dash and search for Whatsapp.

And then head over to your Mobile's WhatsApp and then scan the QR showed in the Whatsapp application

Once, it is done you can use WhatsApp like you use it on PC/Windows

Anirudh Pulikonda
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One can now install the Whatsapp Windows desktop app (not just a Webapp) on Linux using Wine. But there is a little trick. The oficial installer won't work. Is is classified as "Garbage" in WineHq:

https://appdb.winehq.org/objectManager.php?sClass=application&iId=17534

The problem is not the app it self, it's just it installer. I managed to install the Windows desktop app on Linux Mint 19 using Wine. The trick was to use his Portable apps version:

https://portapps.io/app/whatsapp-portable/

Just it.

In Whatsapp on the phone is shown with a Windows session icon. As can be seen in the figure below:

Whatsapp show as a Windows session

P.S.: Sorry for the portuguese in the print :)

fabiolimath
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There is no native app of whatsapp on Ubuntu neither on any other desktop OS.

Instead you can use whatsapp on desktops using two approaches:

  1. use the web app
  2. install whatsapp on android emulator in Ubuntu

Follow the links above for each method.

Maythux
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