It was reported earlier this month that WhatsApp could be working on desktop apps. Now, the popular instant messenger has officially launched native desktop apps for Windows and Mac.
Until now users could access WhatsApp on their desktops with WhatsApp Web which is essentially an extension of your phone as the app mirrors conversations and messages from your mobile device. The native desktop app does the same job but the only difference is that it is not browser based.
The new desktop app is available for Windows 8+ and Mac OS 10.9+ and is synced with WhatsApp on your mobile device. WhatsApps says that as the app runs natively on your desktop and offers support for native desktop notifications, better keyboard shortcuts, and more. The UI for the native app is almost similar to that of WhatsApp for Web except for minor tweaks.
You can download the app by visiting https://www.whatsapp.com/download from your desktop browser. Similar to WhatsApp Web, you will have to open the app and scan the QR code using the WhatsApp app on your phone which is present under Settings. The Facebook owned service has over 1 billion monthly active users and offers apps for various platforms like Android, iOS, Windows Phone, BlackBerry OS, Nokia and Symbian devices.