WhatsApp Web Released For iOS (Photo : Screenshot of web.whatsapp.com)
Earlier this year, WhatsApp -- one of the world's most popular mobile instant messaging apps -- launched WhatsApp Web for Google Chrome and Android, and now most recently iOS, which effectively brings WhatsApp and all its features to your Windows Desktop and virtually every major platform.
What the app does exactly is allow users the option to view WhatsApp messages on their Windows Desktop, as well as compose new messages and reply to existing ones.
Viber, another popular mobile messaging app had previously launched Viber for Desktop, and now WhatsApp has followed suit.
"The primary use [of WhatsApp] is of course still on your phone," said a representative of WhatsApp. "But there are people who spend time in front of a computer at home or at work and this will help bridge the two."
Previously, only Android, Windows and Blackberry devices were supported, leaving iOS users out in the cold. The addition of the app on iOS signifies WhatsApp's triumph over what they referred to in the past as "Apple platform limitations."
With the app now available on iOS, WhatsApp Web can brag that it can now be used on every major platform.
To use WhatsApp Web, users must visit web.whatsapp.com and scan the QR Code via the actual WhatsApp on an iPhone to begin the process of pairing.
However, to get the web client to work, a user's iPhone needs to remain connected to the internet. All original WhatsApp messages will still be on the iPhone. What the app does is simply give users another option.
"We really hope you find the web client useful in your everyday lives," said WhatsApp.
WhatsApp was created in 2009 by former Yahoo! pioneers Brian Acton and Jan Koum. Since its inception, it quickly became a smartphone essential.
The app allows users to send messages, photos and videos, and voice messages over the internet. It is one of the most widely used instant messaging apps globally with over 800-million active users.
The company was acquired by the Mark Zuckerberg led Facebook in February of last year for approximately US$16-billion.
