Windows 11 · Windows
Download and Install WhatsApp on Windows
Source-checked About 10 minutes
Answer
Install WhatsApp from its official download page or Microsoft Store, open the Windows app, then use WhatsApp on the phone that already holds your account to scan the QR code. The PC app does not create a separate account; scanning the QR code links that computer to your existing WhatsApp account.
Open the official Windows download
On the PC, open WhatsApp's official download page and choose the Windows download. If it opens Microsoft Store, confirm the listing is WhatsApp, then select Get or Install. Do not use download mirrors or sponsored installer buttons.
Open WhatsApp on the PC
When installation finishes, select Open, or open Start, type WhatsApp, and select the app. The first screen should show a QR code and instructions to link a phone. Treat this QR code like a sign-in credential and never send its screenshot to anyone.
Open Linked devices on the phone
Use the phone already signed in to the intended account. On Android, open WhatsApp, select the three-dot menu, then Linked devices. On iPhone, open WhatsApp, select Settings > Linked Devices. Select Link a device and complete the phone's fingerprint, Face ID, or passcode check if prompted.
Scan the PC's QR code
Point the phone's scanner at the complete QR code shown in WhatsApp on the PC. Keep it inside the frame until WhatsApp confirms the link. If the QR code expires, refresh it on the PC and scan the new code.
Verify the intended account
Wait for the chat list to appear on the PC. Check the profile name and one recent conversation without sending a message. This confirms that the intended phone account, rather than another account, was linked.
Review the linked session
Return to Linked devices on the phone and confirm that the Windows session appears. If the PC is shared, lost, or no longer trusted, select that session and log it out from the phone.
Video walkthrough
If it does not work
- If the PC shows no QR code, confirm the installed app is the official WhatsApp app, close it fully, and reopen it; reinstall from the official download page if necessary.
- If the QR code expires, refresh it on the PC. Do not photograph or forward it.
- If the phone will not scan, clean its camera lens, increase the PC screen brightness, show the entire code, and retry from Linked devices > Link a device rather than the normal camera.
- If linking is refused, review the existing Linked devices list and log out an old device you no longer use, then retry.
- If Microsoft Store is blocked on a managed PC, use WhatsApp Web or ask the administrator; do not bypass device policy with a repackaged installer.
Sources and verification
Checked against official documentation on . Scope: Windows.
Follow the linked first-party guidance if labels differ after a platform or app update.