WhatsApp Web: How to Log In, Scan the QR Code & Use It

Last Updated: November 3, 2026

WhatsApp Web is WhatsApp’s official browser version, and logging in takes one QR code scan: open web.whatsapp.com on your computer, then in WhatsApp on your phone tap Linked devices, then Link a device, and point the phone at the QR code on the screen. Your chats then load in the browser. WhatsApp Web lets you send and receive messages, calls and files from a computer linked to your phone’s WhatsApp account, with no separate account or password.

This guide covers both login methods, QR code fixes, logging out, what changed in 2026 and the encryption that protects your messages.

Key Takeaways

• WhatsApp Web (web.whatsapp.com) is free and links a browser to the WhatsApp account on your phone, with no separate password.
• You log in by scanning the QR code from Linked devices inside WhatsApp, not with the phone’s camera app, or with a phone-number code (available since 2023).
• One account can have up to four linked devices besides the main phone. They work while the phone is offline but are logged out if the phone goes unused for more than 14 days.
• WhatsApp announced voice and video calls on WhatsApp Web, one-on-one and group, on July 28, 2026, with a gradual rollout.
• WhatsApp Web messages and calls are end-to-end encrypted with the Signal Protocol.

How to Log In to WhatsApp Web (QR Code Method)

To access WhatsApp Web on your computer, you need a browser and the WhatsApp app on your phone:

1. Open a browser on your computer and go to web.whatsapp.com. A QR code appears.
2. On your phone, open WhatsApp. On iPhone, tap Settings. On Android, tap the three-dot menu.
3. Tap Linked devices, then Link a device. WhatsApp may ask for your fingerprint or face unlock.
4. Point your phone at the QR code on your computer screen until it scans.
5. Your chats load in the browser, and you can start messaging.

The QR code on web.whatsapp.com is temporary and refreshes automatically while the page is open. If the code stops working, reload the page and scan the new one.

Where Is the QR Code Scanner in WhatsApp?

The QR code scanner for WhatsApp Web is inside the WhatsApp app:

• iPhone: WhatsApp > Settings > Linked Devices > Link a Device.
• Android: WhatsApp > three-dot menu > Linked devices > Link a device.

The phone’s regular camera app and separate QR scanner apps cannot link WhatsApp Web, because the code must be scanned from the Linked devices screen inside WhatsApp. The WhatsApp Business app has the same scanner.

How to Log In With a Phone Number (No QR Code)

WhatsApp Web can also link without a QR code, which helps if your phone’s camera is not working. The option is not new: WABetaInfo reported on July 8, 2023 that “Link with phone number” was rolling out to WhatsApp Web beta testers.

1. On web.whatsapp.com, click Link with phone number below the QR code.
2. Choose your country and enter your phone number.
3. WhatsApp Web shows an 8-character code on the computer screen.
4. On your phone, open the notification from WhatsApp and enter the code.

Only enter a code that you requested yourself on web.whatsapp.com: scammers abuse this flow to link their own browser to other people’s accounts.

How Many Devices Can You Link to WhatsApp?

One WhatsApp account can have up to four linked devices at a time besides the main phone, including browsers running WhatsApp Web, the Desktop app, an iPad and, since April 2023, other phones. Meta set that limit when it began testing multi-device support in July 2021, and Gulf News described the same limit in October 2026.

• Phone offline: WhatsApp Web keeps working when the phone is off or offline, because each linked device connects to WhatsApp on its own, “even if your phone battery is dead,” as Meta’s engineers put it.
• 14-day rule: if the main phone is not used for more than 14 days, WhatsApp logs out its linked devices (Gulf News, October 2026).

What’s New on WhatsApp Web in 2026

Voice and video calling. WABetaInfo reported on February 9, 2026 that one-on-one calls were reaching some WhatsApp Web beta testers, and group calls reached some users by June. On July 28, 2026, WhatsApp announced web calling for everyone: audio and video calls, one-on-one and group, directly from WhatsApp Web with no app download, end-to-end encryption and screen sharing. WhatsApp said the features are rolling out gradually, so if you do not see call buttons yet, use the WhatsApp Desktop app in the meantime. WABetaInfo reports a limit of 32 participants for group calls; WhatsApp did not state one.

Call transfer. The same update lets you move an active group call between your phone, WhatsApp Web and the Desktop app without hanging up.

WhatsApp Web vs. the WhatsApp Desktop App

WhatsApp Web runs in your browser at web.whatsapp.com. WhatsApp Desktop is a separate app for Windows and Mac. Both link to your phone through Linked devices. Blockchainreporter’s comparison below is based on WhatsApp’s own announcements, checked on November 3, 2026.

WhatsApp Web launched on January 21, 2015, and calls on WhatsApp Desktop followed in March 2021.

Can You Use WhatsApp on an iPad or a Second Phone?

Yes, through the WhatsApp app rather than the browser. WhatsApp launched an official iPad app on May 27, 2025 (TechCrunch), and the iPad works as one of your linked devices. A second phone can also be linked to the same account, an option added in April 2023 (Gulf News).

WhatsApp Business Web

The WhatsApp Business app also works at web.whatsapp.com with the same QR code login: open Linked devices in the WhatsApp Business app and scan the code. Since January 2019, WhatsApp Business on the web has offered quick replies, labels and chat list filters (TechCrunch, January 24, 2019).

Common Login Problems and Fixes

Why Is the WhatsApp Web QR Code Not Loading?

A WhatsApp Web QR code that will not load usually points to the browser or the network. Work through Blockchainreporter’s checklist in order:

1. Check that the computer is online, then reload the page.
2. Update your browser, or try another one.
3. Clear the cache and cookies for web.whatsapp.com, or try a private window.
4. Turn off any VPN, proxy or ad blocker.
5. Try another network: some work, school and public Wi-Fi networks block WhatsApp Web.
6. If nothing loads anywhere, WhatsApp itself may be down.

Why Won’t My Phone Scan the WhatsApp Web QR Code?

1. Scan from Linked devices > Link a device inside WhatsApp, not with the camera app.
2. Update WhatsApp and make sure the phone is online.
3. Clean the camera lens, raise screen brightness and hold the phone steady about 8 to 10 inches (20 to 25 cm) from the screen.
4. Zoom the browser page in if the code looks small, or reload it for a fresh code.
5. If the camera still fails, use Link with phone number.

What Should I Do if WhatsApp Web Isn’t Syncing?

If chats or new messages are missing in WhatsApp Web, try these steps:

1. Check that both the computer and the phone are online, then reload WhatsApp Web.
2. Open WhatsApp on your phone: after you link, the phone sends recent chat history to the browser.
3. If messages are still missing, log out of WhatsApp Web and link it again with a new QR code.

How to Log Out of WhatsApp Web

You can log out of WhatsApp Web in the browser or remotely from your phone. Closing the tab is not enough: the session stays linked until you end it.

In the browser: open the menu above your chat list (or Settings) in WhatsApp Web and choose Log out.

From your phone, even without access to the computer:

1. Open WhatsApp and go to Linked devices (under Settings on iPhone, or the three-dot menu on Android).
2. Tap the browser or device you want to remove.
3. Tap Log out.

Log out any device you do not recognize at once: someone may be reading your messages through it.

How Secure Is WhatsApp Web?

WhatsApp Web messages use the Signal Protocol, which WhatsApp’s encryption whitepaper names as the basis of its end-to-end encryption, the same as in the mobile app. Since July 2026, WhatsApp Web calls are end-to-end encrypted too.

Each linked device, including a browser running WhatsApp Web, has its own identity key (Meta, 2021), and WhatsApp’s whitepaper describes identity keys as Curve25519 key pairs, a type of cryptographic key based on elliptic curve cryptography. WhatsApp’s servers route the encrypted data but cannot read message contents.

The practical risk is an open session on a shared computer or a device linked through a scam. Log out instead of only closing the tab, and turn on two-step verification, WhatsApp’s form of two-factor authentication.

How to Spot Fake WhatsApp Web Login Pages

The only official address is web.whatsapp.com, the one WhatsApp’s Help Center gives for logging in from a browser. Check that the address bar shows web.whatsapp.com exactly before you scan.

• Linking only takes a QR code or an 8-character code shown on web.whatsapp.com, so distrust any page that asks for your SMS verification code.
• Never scan a QR code or type a linking code that someone sends you or that appears on another website: it links their browser to your account.
• In the GhostPairing scam, which Gen Digital (the company behind Norton) described on December 15, 2025, a fake Facebook-style page asks for the victim’s phone number, then shows a WhatsApp pairing code to enter in the app, which links the attacker’s browser.

WhatsApp is also used for investment fraud, as in the alleged $15 million WhatsApp investment scam the SEC charged in September 2026, and Meta has added AI tools on Facebook and WhatsApp against crypto scams.

Screen Lock for WhatsApp Web

WhatsApp Web has an optional password screen lock, which WABetaInfo reported reaching beta testers on August 14, 2023. Turn it on under Settings > Privacy > Screen lock, set a password and choose when it locks. If you forget the password, log out and link the browser again with the QR code.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I log in to WhatsApp Web on my computer with the QR code?
Open web.whatsapp.com on your computer. On your phone, open WhatsApp, tap Settings on iPhone or the three-dot menu on Android, then tap Linked devices and Link a device. Point the phone at the QR code on the computer screen. Your chats then load in the browser, and WhatsApp Web stays linked until you log out.

Why can’t I scan the WhatsApp Web QR code with my phone’s camera?
The phone’s regular camera app and separate QR scanner apps cannot link WhatsApp Web. The QR code has to be scanned from inside WhatsApp, under Linked devices and then Link a device. If the WhatsApp scanner still fails, clean the lens, raise screen brightness, reload the page or link with your phone number instead.

Is WhatsApp Web free to use?
Yes. WhatsApp Web is a free browser companion to the WhatsApp mobile app, with no subscription, download or separate account. You only need an active WhatsApp account on your phone and an internet connection on both devices to scan the QR code. Voice and video calls from the browser are also free, according to WhatsApp’s July 2026 announcement.

Do I need my phone connected to use WhatsApp Web?
Only to link the two devices with the QR code or a phone-number code. After that, WhatsApp Web works on its own, even if the phone goes offline or its battery dies, because each linked device connects to WhatsApp independently. The main phone still has to be used at least once every 14 days, or WhatsApp logs out its linked devices.

Why does my WhatsApp Web session keep logging out?
The most common cause is the 14-day rule: if your main phone goes unused for more than 14 days, WhatsApp logs out linked web sessions as a security precaution. Clearing your browser’s cookies, closing a private window or logging the session out from your phone also ends it, and you then need to scan a new QR code.

Is WhatsApp Web encrypted the same way as the app?
Yes. WhatsApp Web uses the same Signal Protocol end-to-end encryption as the mobile app. Each linked device has its own identity key, which WhatsApp’s whitepaper describes as a Curve25519 key pair, and messages are only decrypted on the devices of the people in the chat. WhatsApp’s servers route the encrypted data but cannot read message contents.

Can I use WhatsApp Web without installing anything?
Yes. WhatsApp Web runs entirely in your browser at web.whatsapp.com, the only official address, with no download or installation. That is its main advantage over the separate WhatsApp Desktop app, and it makes WhatsApp Web useful on a computer you do not own, such as a work or library machine where installing software is not an option.

Is WhatsApp Web down right now?
Usually not. Most login failures come from an expired QR code, an outdated browser, a blocked network or a phone without an internet connection, not a WhatsApp outage. If web.whatsapp.com will not load at all, or messages stop syncing on every device and network you try, check an outage tracker such as Downdetector before assuming the problem is yours.

This article is for informational purposes only.