For years, the WhatsApp app has been near the top of the App Store charts as one of the most popular chat apps worldwide. Much to the dismay of thousands of WhatsApp users, though, there is no native iPad app. But don’t despair, as there is a way to use WhatsApp on an iPad without any hacking, jailbreaking, or modifying of your device. The best part? It only takes a few minutes to get started.
Good to know: need to schedule a message on WhatsApp? Use one of these tested methods.
How to Get WhatsApp on iPad
The easiest way to access WhatsApp on your iPad is through your browser. We’re using the native Safari browser for this tutorial.
Part 1: Accessing WhatsApp Web
Open Safari on your iPad. Type web.whatsapp.com in your Safari search bar, and hit Go. You don’t land on the dedicated web portal, and instead land on the company’s home page. That’s not a problem, as we’re reloading the page in Desktop mode.
Tap on the aA icon at the left end of the search bar to view a series of options. Select Request Desktop Website.
If you’re on a newer version of iPadOS, you will instead see an icon that looks like two bars stacked, with a smaller rectangle on top. This is also the instructions page that shows directions for accessing WhatsApp on your computer.
Tip: check out how to share your location on WhatsApp by using one of these methods.
Part 2: Linking Your Devices
Open WhatsApp on your iPhone, tap the settings in the bottom menu, and select Linked devices.
Press the Link device button.
Android users can tap the three-dot icon and hit Linked devices -> Link a device.
Scan the QR code on your iPad with the rear camera of your smartphone.
After the QR code is scanned, your WhatsApp history will appear on the screen of your iPad.
You can now chat using the full functionality of the desktop WhatsApp platform on your iPad.
FYI: if you need to send multiple images on WhatsApp, our guide shows you how.
Sending and Receiving WhatsApp Messages on iPad
Before you start using WhatsApp on your iPad, we have to note that there are a few limitations. The first is that voice notes don’t work, as WhatsApp on the iPad isn’t officially supported. While you can listen to voice notes, it is not a two-way system yet.
The second limitation is the lack of notifications. The WhatsApp platform doesn’t support notifications of incoming messages on iOS web browsers. To be notified of an incoming message, you’ll have to leave the browser open. Still, that is a small price to pay until the company gets wise and releases a dedicated iPad app (which is expected soon).
Tip: learn how to quickly edit a message on WhatsApp.
Add WhatsApp Shortcut to Your iPad Home Screen
Now that we’re all set up with a web browser, you can make a shortcut to quickly get back to the web app. It takes just a few seconds.
Open WhatsApp in Safari, and tap the Share icon to the right of the address bar.
Click Add to Home Screen. (You may need to swipe down a bit for that.)
Rename the application to something other than “WhatsApp.” To keep things easy, hit Add at the top right of the Share menu.
The shortcut icon will appear on your home screen in the first available space. Pressing it once will open it like any other app and take you back to the desktop app through Safari. It may take a second or two to reload each time, depending on your connection speed, but it will sync any messages you’ve recently sent on your smartphone or laptop.
Tip: liven up your conversations with these cool sticker packs for WhatsApp.
Now that you have WhatsApp set up on your iPad, you’ll likely be receiving pictures from your friends and family. Learn how to hide photos on your iPad and iPhone and maintain your privacy. If, on the other hand, you’re in the market for a tablet and are undecided between an iPad and an iPad Air, check out our comparison.
Image credit: Pexels and Flaticon. All screenshots by Alexandra Arici.
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