WhatsApp users who prefer to reply to and manage messages from the desktop can do so with the help of the WhatsApp Web feature, but one of the pending debts of the instant messenger was to create a more dedicated version. The day has finally arrived, and those who wish to download WhatsApp for Windows and OS X will find the builds on the official page, although that does not eliminate the requirement of a smartphone.
WhatsApp remains one of the most popular instant messengers on the planet, but from the start the idea of improving its relationship with desktop computers has always been floating. Needless to say, WhatsApp's priority is the mobile space, and that won't change under any circumstances. It wasn't about a drastic shift, but rather a simple 'teamwork' — meaning that the user could manage messages on the computer in a way similar to how they do on their smartphone.
After a long wait, the answer came with WhatsApp Web, but now it's the turn of standalone installers compatible with Windows and OS X.
After installing the app, the linking process is exactly the same as with WhatsApp Web: the program generates a QR code, and from the 'WhatsApp Web' option in the mobile app, you point the camera at it.
Now, if anyone expects to set aside their smartphone for the rest of the day once they log into their conversations, they'll be disappointed. If the smartphone loses its connection (whether via WiFi or the mobile network), the desktop version will show the same warning we see so often in WhatsApp Web. This is especially true when the device enters a deeper-than-normal power-saving mode, and there are no parameters in the operating system to fix it (for example, on several Lumia smartphones with Windows Phone 8.1).
In summary, WhatsApp has 'wrapped' WhatsApp Web in a much more convenient and compatible package for accessing all your messages without relying on a browser. Some observant users have said that WhatsApp actually used the Electron framework, not the Chromium Embedded Framework as I initially suspected. The official page states that the minimum supported Windows version is 8; however, I can report (along with many other users on the Web) that it works without any issues on Windows 7.
