How to use WhatsApp on Linux ?
WhatsApp is currently one of the most popular instant messaging services in the world. It is originally a mobile application like iMessage or Viber. However, the platform has also thought about the physical keyboard and Linux fans.
You have several solutions to access this platform on your computer.
How to install WhatsApp on Linux ?
As in Windows or MacOS, the emulators are your greatest allies for run an application on a PC. This is a category of software emulating the behavior of an Android or iOS device (smartphone or tablet).
With these tools you will be able to use the Apk version of WhatsApp on computer. You also have access to a myriad of Linux-compatible emulators on the Internet. You can, for example, choose Android-x86, AVD (Android Virtual Device), Bliss OS or even Genymotion.
Anbox deserves a special mention though, as it was created by the Ubuntu developers. Thus, the program is open source, powerful and scalable. In addition, the software differs from traditional emulators by using the resources and the Linux kernel.
It allows you to run your applications faster, in this case WhatsApp.
Instead of using an emulator, you can also install WhatsDesk on your computer. A team from MIT is behind this unofficial WhatsApp client for Linux. However, you need to activate the Snap software manager upstream in order to install these programs on your PC.
Using WhatsDesk on Linux
Snap is natively integrated in Ubuntu distributions since version 16.04 LTS (Xenial Xerus). In this case, you do not need to activate it anymore. You can skip the installation of WhatsDesk.
You must, however, start by installing it manually, if Snap is not available by default. To do this, open the terminal and enter the commands :
sudo apt update
sudo apt install snapd
These command lines are valid for most Linux distributions, like KDE Neon, elementary OS, Kubuntu, Manjaro, etc. However, Snap can be installed with an additional command line under Debian 9 and later. This time you will have to enter :
sudo apt update
sudo apt install snapd
sudo snap install core
You must also remove the preference ” nosnap “to be able to install Snap, if you are under Linux Mint 20. To do this, use the following commands:
sudo rm /etc/apt/preferences.d/nosnap.pref
sudo apt update
To complete the installation, restart your computer or log out, then reconnect-you. Finally, install WhatsDesk with the command :
sudo snap install whatsdesk
After this last step you can use WhatsApp on your Linux PC.
Use WhatsApp Web: The best solution
WhatsApp Web is often presented as the best solution to access the messaging platform on a computer. Indeed, this method is very simple to implement. It has also been designed to suit any operating system.
However, you need handle your phone and PC simultaneously. Specifically, launch the internet browser of the latter. Go to the WhatsApp Web site at https://web.whatsapp.com/.
A QR code will appear immediately on the home page.
Then open the WhatsApp application on your smartphone. If you use a iPhone, click on the WhatsApp Web option in the Settings menu. This line is located in the Discussion menu, on a device Android.
It is the three small dots on the upper right corner of the screen. Finally, scan the above QR code to login from your PC.
Attention ! Keep your cell phone on and connected to use this solution. You will also need to leave your account active on this device. In addition, you will need a stable network to ensure the smooth operation of the service.
Use Franz to use WhatsApp on Linux
Franz is a software that allows you to Concentrate multiple IM accounts on one interface. It supports Whatsapp, Skype, WeChat, Facebook and Discord. In its version free, Franz gives you the possibility touse three platforms at once.
You will need to purchase a subscription to add additional services.
In any case, go to the meetfranz website to download the Debian package of the application. Just open the tab dedicated to downloads and click on the Ubuntu button under Franz for Linux. Once the download is complete, install the software on your PC.
You can also download the package with the command :
wget -O franz_5.6.1_amd64.deb https: // github.com / meetfranz / franz / releases / download / v5.6.1 / franz_5.6.1_amd64.deb
Then open the folder Downloads. Right click with your mouse and choose Open in the terminal. The directory will be defined automatically. Finally, run the following command to start installing the Debian package:
sudo apt installer. / franz_5.6.1_amd64.deb
At the end of the operation, the software should appear in the list of applications on your computer.
