Yes, you can use WhatsApp Web with your phone switched off. Linked devices have been the standard way WhatsApp works since the multi-device beta ended, so your phone doesn’t need to stay online. You can link up to four companion devices to one phone, but all of them get logged out if the phone isn’t used for 14 days. Since July 2026, WhatsApp Web in a browser can also make voice and video calls, which used to need the desktop app.
Before you rely on this setup, check three things. Your phone app needs to be up to date. Your browser needs to be current, because the Windows app now runs on Microsoft’s WebView2 engine. And you should know which devices are listed under Linked devices.
Can you use WhatsApp Web when your phone is offline?
Yes. Once a computer is linked, it connects to WhatsApp’s servers on its own and doesn’t route anything through your phone. Your phone can be switched off, out of battery or without a signal, and you can still read and send messages on the computer.
How linked devices made this possible
The Linked devices feature lets you use WhatsApp from a PC through web.whatsapp.com or the WhatsApp Desktop app without your phone being online. After you sign in on a computer, your chats keep working whether the phone is on or off. The limit is four linked devices plus your main phone, so five in total. The four can be any mix of a Windows PC, a Mac, an iPad or the web version in a browser. In April 2023, WhatsApp also let a second phone join as a linked device.
There is one condition. If your main phone goes 14 days without being used, WhatsApp logs out every linked device. Your account is still tied to your phone, and you only need to open WhatsApp on it now and then.
Technique 1: Check that multi-device is on (it now is by default)
You don’t need to turn anything on today. Multi-device started in 2021 as a beta that you had to join. WhatsApp later made it standard for everyone, and the beta toggle is gone.
Back then, only people who joined the beta could link several devices and use them while the phone was off. That opt-in step is history now. If your app is up to date, open Linked devices. If you don’t see a beta option there, that’s normal and means the feature is already on.
On Android (historical beta steps)
In 2021, Android users joined the beta like this:
- Tap the three-dot menu in WhatsApp and choose “Linked devices.”
- Tap “Multi-device beta” on the next screen.
- Tap “Join beta,” then “Continue.”
On iPhone, the same option was under the “Settings” tab, then “Linked devices.” None of these steps is needed on a current version of the app. If you still see a beta prompt, update WhatsApp from Google Play or the App Store.
Technique 2: Open your browser and sign in to WhatsApp Web
To link a computer, open WhatsApp Web or the desktop app and scan the QR code it shows with your phone. You can link up to four devices this way. The steps are a little different on Android and iPhone.
- On Android, tap the three-dot menu at the top and choose “Linked devices.” On iPhone, open WhatsApp’s “Settings” tab and choose “Linked devices.”
- Tap “Link a device.” Your phone may ask for your fingerprint, face or passcode.
- On your computer, open web.whatsapp.com in a browser, or open the WhatsApp Desktop app.
- Point your phone at the QR code on the computer screen to scan it.
Some people look for a whatsapp web download first, but the browser version needs no installation at all. The installable apps are WhatsApp for Windows from the Microsoft Store and WhatsApp for Mac.
If your camera can’t read the QR code, WhatsApp Web also lets you link using your phone number. The computer shows an 8-character code, and you type it into your phone.
Once the link is confirmed, your account is connected on that PC or Mac. The first load takes longer than it used to, because your phone sends an encrypted copy of your recent message history to the new device.
WhatsApp Web now has many of the features from the phone app, including image editing, chat wallpapers and privacy settings. You can also message anyone while your phone is offline.
What changed for the Windows app
From July 2025, Meta began replacing the native Windows app with a version built on Microsoft’s WebView2. It’s essentially WhatsApp Web inside a desktop window. Testing reported by Windows Latest found it used about 30% more RAM than the old native app, and reviewers called it slower. Some native touches, like jump lists, were also lost. The upside is that features now arrive on the web and on Windows at the same time.
How to make and answer calls on WhatsApp Web and Desktop
You can now call from either one. The desktop apps for Windows and Mac have supported voice and video calls for years. WhatsApp Web added calling in the browser after a beta that started in February 2026, and announced the wide release on 28 July 2026.
In the past, you needed the desktop app to call from a computer, because the browser version only handled text. That isn’t true anymore. Browser calls are end-to-end encrypted. They support one-to-one and group calls, screen sharing during video calls, and a Calls tab with your call history and favourites. Coverage of the July launch also mentions call transfer between phone and browser, and noise suppression.
Calling from the computer works much like Zoom or Skype. Your browser will ask for permission to use the microphone and camera the first time you call.
How to log out a linked device remotely
You can log out any linked computer or tablet from your phone, even if you can’t get to that device. This matters because you might be signed in at home, at work and on an iPad at the same time. If someone else can use one of those devices, they can read your chats.
- Open WhatsApp on your iPhone or Android phone. Go to Linked devices through Settings (iPhone) or the three-dot menu (Android).
- Tap the device you want to sign out.
- Tap “Log out” and confirm.
Do the same for each device you don’t recognise or no longer use. The list shows each device’s name and when it was last active, so an unfamiliar entry is easy to spot.
Is using WhatsApp on several devices safe?
Yes, provided you control every device on the list. Each linked device has its own encryption keys, and messages stay end-to-end encrypted between devices.
When WhatsApp Web first launched, it only mirrored your phone. The phone had to stay online, and the session dropped as soon as the phone lost its connection. Other encrypted apps such as Telegram and Signal offered desktop clients that didn’t depend on the phone being online. WhatsApp held back for years, saying it wanted to keep encryption intact first.
The multi-device design WhatsApp released in 2021 rebuilt the system around end-to-end encryption and automatic device verification. In March 2022, Meta also released Code Verify, a free, open-source extension for Chrome, Edge and Firefox. It checks that the WhatsApp Web code your browser loads hasn’t been tampered with, and shows a green icon when everything matches.
No setup is 100 percent secure. The weak point is physical access. If someone can use your unlocked laptop, or once scanned your QR code, they can read your chats until you log them out. Check the Linked devices list regularly.
You no longer need your phone online to use WhatsApp on a computer. You can turn off mobile data or let the battery run down and keep chatting. What you do need is to open WhatsApp on the phone at least once every 14 days. You’ll also need the phone online if you want to load older messages that weren’t copied when you first linked the computer.
FAQ
Does WhatsApp Web work if my phone is switched off?
Yes. Linked devices connect to WhatsApp on their own, so you can send and receive messages with your phone off or offline. Just open WhatsApp on the phone at least every 14 days, or WhatsApp will log out all linked devices.
How many devices can I link to one WhatsApp account?
Up to four linked devices plus your main phone. They can be any mix of WhatsApp Web, the Windows app, the Mac app, an iPad, or a second phone in companion mode.
Can I make calls from WhatsApp Web without installing anything?
Yes. WhatsApp released browser calling widely on 28 July 2026, after a beta that began in February. It covers voice and video calls, group calls and screen sharing. The Windows and Mac apps have supported calls for longer.
Why does WhatsApp Web keep logging me out?
The most common reason is that your phone hasn’t been used for 14 days. Linked devices can also drop if you clear your browser data, log out from the phone, or if a device sits unused for a long time. To fix it, link the device again by scanning a new QR code.
How do I know if someone else is using my WhatsApp on a computer?
On your phone, open Linked devices and look through the list. It shows each device and when it was last active. If you see one you don’t recognise, tap it and choose Log out.
Do I need to download anything to use WhatsApp Web?
No. WhatsApp Web runs in any current browser at its official address. If you’d rather have a separate app, WhatsApp for Windows and WhatsApp for Mac are free from the Microsoft Store and the Mac App Store.
Sources
- Engadget: WhatsApp now lets you use your account on multiple phones
- Digital Trends: WhatsApp has finally enabled its long-awaited multi-device feature
- Android Central: WhatsApp now lets you sign into your account on multiple smartphones
- 9to5Mac: WhatsApp Web starts rolling out voice and video calls
- TechRepublic: WhatsApp Web adds browser voice and video calling
- Android Headlines: WhatsApp Web launches voice and video calling
- Neowin: WhatsApp for Windows is ditching UWP for a web app
- Meta Engineering: WhatsApp Code Verify
About this article
- Fact-checked before publication.
- Published · Updated
