We know more than enough about everything WhatsApp offers on mobile, being one more part of our routine for years. However, and despite the fact that you know about the possibility of using WhatsApp on a Windows computer, you may have never considered its disadvantages and advantages compared to the mobile application.
This is precisely what we have just reviewed in this post, since WhatsApp on PC has some main differences compared to the mobile application. We have already told you that there are not many of them and that there are limitations, but also some advantages that could undoubtedly encourage you to start using (or to use more) this application on your computer.
Two ways to use WhatsApp on a PC
The first thing you need to know is that WhatsApp Web can be used on Windows computers
The first of them is accessible from the site of WhatsappWeb. Once you are there, you must open WhatsApp on your mobile, touch the three dots at the top, click on Pair a device and focus on the QR on the computer screen to start the session.
In the case of application, you can download it from WhatsApp website. Once installed on your computer, you must follow a procedure identical to that explained above, also having to scan a QR from the WhatsApp application on your mobile.
It must be said that the necessary requirements They are very easy to complete:
- Whatsapp app: Windows 8.1 or later (32 or 64 bit)
- WhatsappWeb: no requirements beyond having a web browser.
Disadvantages of WhatsApp on Windows vs Mobile
As we told you at the beginning, there is a series of limitations in WhatsApp Web and in the application of Windows, which are also shared with the Mac application. Not that they’re big downsides either, but it’s important to point them out:
- It does not allow you to create reports.
- It does not offer the option to share the location.
- You can’t add filters to photos or videos before you send them.
- Inability to add contacts to the calendar unlike what is done on mobile.
- Prevents broadcast messages from being shared.
Key Benefits of Using WhatsApp on Computer
In accordance with the above, there are many more functions that are in the desktop versions and which are shared by the application. Beyond writing and receiving messages, it lets you record audio, share documents, mute conversations, cus tomize the app, and even some extra tricks like the ones you we will see below.
Read messages without being discovered
We already warned a few lines ago that there are some extra tricks in the desktop versions. Reading messages on WhatsApp without the double blue tick appearing in the mobile application is not complicated, but in the desktop version it is much easier (also applicable to WhatsApp Web).
It will be as simple as going to the chat panel and hover over the message no need to click on it. After a few seconds (2-3, no more), you will see a text box showing the full content of the message and it will not be marked as read. The bad thing is that you can only read the last message
Send files more comfortably
We store a lot of information on our mobiles, but chances are that when it comes to important documents and files, you have stored them on your computer. Therefore, being able to share this type of data via WhatsApp could be much more comfortable from WhatsApp Web or the Windows application, avoiding having to send it to your mobile first.
Moreover, WhatsApp has extended the size limit when sending files from 100MB to 2GB, so you can take advantage of this and send larger files. You will even have the possibility of compress them if they are larger than 2 GB.
Avoid mobile distractions
It is true that WhatsApp itself can be an application that distracts you a lot from your tasks when you are on the computer. However, there are plenty of other potential distractions on mobile that you might not have on PC. If in addition the use you make of WhatsApp is work, all the more reason it will serve you to touch the mobile as little as possible
Much to say? You will write much faster
In the likes and preferences there is nothing written, but if you are one of those who value a physical keyboard more than a virtual keyboard, you will surely lose your mind when you have to write a paragraph on WhatsApp. However, with computer keyboard you will be able to get by much faster and that is why this is another great advantage of using WhatsApp on Windows.
It will be harder for you to forget to reply to a message
When we use the computer, whether for work, study or leisure, we tend to pay more attention to it than to the mobile. And if in addition we have the smartphone in another room or not close enough, it is more than likely that we will receive a moderately important message that we forget to answer. With WhatsApp on the computer, there are no more excuses, since the notifications will be received simultaneously on the mobile. That we don’t want to respond in the same way will be another matter to discuss with the emissary of the message.
Having WhatsApp on your computer can be a very big double-edged sword.
In conclusion, to say that in the end, WhatsApp on Windows can be one more productivity tool so that you don’t have to be constantly aware of mobile and can attend messages without looking too far. This, yes, can also be counterproductive if it is ultimately an expendable tool in our work.
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