Few apps wish to be as ubiquitous as WhatsApp. Because it works not only on mobile, and also on a tablet, car, phone that is not a smartphone and even a fridge, why not. Even on television; even if it's less efficient to send messages from there unless the keyboard is available. Anyway, do you have a TV with Android TV and would like to have WhatsApp?
One of the benefits of having Android on television is that a large portion of the applications and games are compatible with the program and, therefore, on the big screen. All right now Google Play Store for Android TV is far from perfect, many apps avoid direct download access, such as WhatsApp; unless it's impossible to use because, as we'll tell you below, there are a few options.
Simple: multiplied on a mobile screen
Let's start with the basics when using WhatsApp on television: duplicate phone screen or "mirrors". Since Android TV includes Google Chromecast support, the process is more than simple:
- Search the Google Home app on your mobile phone. If you do not have one installed you just have to download it from the Play Store.
- Open Home and search for the name of the TV (or player) via Android TV. Click the icon.
- You will see the Chromecast icon at the bottom of "Send my screen". Click there.
- The same thing will be playing on the TV on the phone screen. You must open WhatsApp and you will have it on the big screen.
This is useful for viewing videos and photos sent to you on TV, for example, and listening to audios. Beyond here doesn't make much sense since then you need to have the phone in your hand, so you don't get too much. Let's keep going now for ways to have WhatsApp on TV and use it independently on mobile.
WhatsApp Web, great solution
As with Android tablets, the easiest way to use WhatsApp on Android TV is through a browser and WhatsApp Web. The problem is that the operating system on the television doesn't have a sequential browser, so the process is weird: you have to install one of the latest versions of Google Chrome (or Firefox, for example: this way only WhatsApp will run the Web). From here a connected mouse will always be needed, either Bluetooth or cable. Some menus do not work remotely.
Since there is no browser compatible with WhatsApp Web for the Android TV store, the following must be done:
- Access the Google Play Store on your Android TV and look for file manager. TV File Commander is an excellent recommendation.
- Download the latest version of Google Chrome for Android from Apk Mirror and upload the file to your Drive account.
- Open the TV File Commander on your TV, connect to your Google Drive account and install Google Chrome Apk.
- Since Chrome is a file that is not compatible with Android TV, access will not be visible on the TV connector. To access you need a Launcher, such as a Sideload Launcher. Install on your Android TV.
- Open the Sideload Launcher and use Chrome.
- Access Chrome settings again select desktop view.
- Go to web.whatsapp.com in Chrome for TV.
- Access WhatsApp from your mobile phone, enter settings and click the WhatsApp Web option.
- Scan the QR code for the TV with your mobile phone: you will now have access to a session in the web browser.
- From that moment on you will have WhatsApp on the big screen of your Android TV. You can use it as if you're on a computer, but sadly, remote control is complicated.
To solve a book by writing in a remote directory you can use a Bluetooth wireless keyboard connected to Android TV. You can also use the Android TV app on your phone: from this app you can record in enabled locations on your Android TV.
Install WhatsApp Apk on your Android TV
Since your Android TV is an Android that has a TV-compatible status, so should you install any Apk file, as you have seen with Google Chrome. Of course, they don't have to work well: only apps that are compatible with Android TV should be visible on the TV. However, you can always give it a try, as we will do with WhatsApp.
- Follow the above procedure: Install Commander for Android TV File and Sideload Launcher.
- Download Apk from Apk Mirror, upload it to Drive and install it to TV from Android TV File Commander.
- Open WhatsApp on TV using Sideload Launcher and start the account activation process.
- WhatsApp works out a lot on TV, though it's best to use the keyboard connected to Android TV to make it more comfortable to write.
- Keep in mind that you can only have one account linked: connecting WhatsApp to your Android TV will remove access from your phone.
