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Everything you need for great customer service — in one platform
Keeping WhatsApp open on your phone all day isn't ideal if you already spend your day at a computer. Fortunately, WhatsApp Business has an official desktop app, so you can chat with customers directly from your PC or Mac. In this guide, we explain how WhatsApp Business Desktop works, how to install it, what its limitations are — and when you should choose a different platform instead.
WhatsApp Business Desktop is Meta's official desktop application for the WhatsApp Business app. It's a standalone program (not a browser tab) that you install on Windows or macOS, mirroring the conversations on your phone directly.
It's important to distinguish this from two other options:
For small businesses just starting out, the free desktop app is often the first step. But once you start working with a team, you'll quickly hit its limits — more on that below.
Go to whatsapp.com/download and choose the Windows or Mac version. You can also find it in the Microsoft Store or Mac App Store.
Once linked, you'll see all your conversations instantly on your computer. New messages appear in real time on both devices.
Thanks to multi-device support (since 2021), your phone doesn't need to stay constantly online — the desktop app largely functions independently, though your phone still needs to reconnect periodically to keep everything in sync.
Functionally, they're nearly identical — both show the same conversations and offer the same features. The difference is in the user experience.
WhatsApp Web runs through your browser at web.whatsapp.com and depends on an open browser tab, with notifications handled by the browser itself. WhatsApp Business Desktop is a standalone application with its own icon in your taskbar or dock, native system notifications, and more extensive keyboard shortcuts.
For daily, heavy use, the desktop app is more pleasant simply because you're not dependent on keeping a browser tab open that you might accidentally close.
The desktop app offers the same core features as the mobile app:
For a sole proprietor answering occasional customer questions, this is more than enough.
Once multiple people start handling customer service, most businesses hit the same wall.
1. No real team collaboration. There's no way to assign conversations to specific team members. Anyone with access to the linked account sees and can reply to every conversation — with no clarity about who's handling what. This leads to duplicate replies or, worse, missed messages because everyone assumes a colleague already took care of it.
2. No internal notes. You can't add internal notes to a conversation that stay invisible to the customer. Handoffs between colleagues happen via WhatsApp itself, Slack, or verbally — all prone to error.
3. No automation or chatbot. Aside from a basic away message and a welcome message, there's no room for smart automation, FAQ bots, or AI-driven replies.
4. No connection to other channels. Customers who reach out via email, Instagram, or your webshop chat are nowhere to be found alongside your WhatsApp conversations. You lose the overview of your full customer service operation.
5. No reporting. How many messages did you receive this month? What's your average response time? The desktop app tracks none of this.
6. One active account per number. You can only link a single WhatsApp number to one Business account. If you want a team to work from the same number, they're literally sharing the same password/session — insecure and impractical.
A familiar scenario: you have 2 or more people answering customer questions, you regularly send bulk messages to customers, or you want to combine WhatsApp with email and social media in one overview. At that point, the free app falls short.
Still using the free desktop app as a sole proprietor or small team? Get the most out of it with these tips:
These tips extend the lifespan of the free app, but they don't solve the fundamental problem: once you grow, you need team features the desktop app doesn't offer.
The QR code won't scan. Make sure your phone's camera has enough light and that the image on your computer screen isn't displayed too small. Enlarge the desktop app window if needed.
The desktop app keeps showing "Connecting...". Check that your phone has an active internet connection. With multi-device linking, your phone still needs to come online occasionally to keep the session valid.
Messages arrive delayed. This often happens when your phone hasn't had an internet connection for a while. Briefly open the WhatsApp Business app on your phone to force a sync.
The link keeps disconnecting. This can happen if your phone has battery-saving settings that aggressively close background apps. Add WhatsApp Business to the battery optimization exceptions list.
I don't see all the conversations on desktop that I see on my phone. This usually points to delayed syncing. Fully close the desktop app and reopen it.
The WhatsApp Business API (officially through Meta, offered via partners like Bugalou) solves every limitation above:
With Bugalou, you can be set up within a few days — including migrating your existing WhatsApp number without losing your conversation history. Try Bugalou free for 14 days.
Can I use WhatsApp Business Desktop and my phone at the same time? Yes, thanks to multi-device support, you can have up to four devices linked simultaneously, including your phone.
Does WhatsApp Business Desktop work offline? No, you need an active internet connection, both on your computer and (periodically) on your phone.
Can colleagues log in to the same WhatsApp number at the same time? Yes, multiple linked devices can be open at once, but there's no distinction between who's replying to what — for real collaboration, you need the WhatsApp Business API.
Is WhatsApp Business Desktop free? Yes, completely free. The WhatsApp Business API via a platform like Bugalou is a paid service, but it provides the team features the free app lacks.
Can I send files like PDFs through WhatsApp Business Desktop? Yes, just like in the mobile app, you can send and receive documents, photos, and videos from your computer.
What happens to my conversations if I switch to the WhatsApp Business API? With a professional migration through a platform like Bugalou, you keep your phone number and can continue immediately with a full team inbox, without interrupting your customer service.
WhatsApp Business Desktop is a solid, free way for a sole proprietor to chat with customers from their computer. But once you're working with a team, want to use automation, or need to bring multiple channels together, you'll quickly run into its limits. Switching to a platform like Bugalou, built on the official WhatsApp Business API, is the logical next step.
Founder of Bugalou and e-commerce entrepreneur. As a business owner, I noticed that customer service tools were either unaffordable or so complex you needed an IT department. That frustration led to Bugalou.