WhatsApp Web Login connects a browser or desktop app to an existing WhatsApp account so you can read and send messages from a computer. You do not create a new account or type your password on the computer. Your phone approves the connection, and the browser receives a linked session that mirrors the chats on the phone. The login page lives at web.whatsapp.com.
What a WhatsApp Web session is made of
Four parts work together during every login:
- The primary phone: the device holding the SIM or number registered to WhatsApp. It stays the owner of the account.
- The linked browser or app: a companion session stored in the browser's own storage, not only on WhatsApp's servers.
- The Linked Devices list: the screen on the phone where every companion session appears and can be removed.
- The pairing step: either a QR code scan or a short code typed on the phone. This is the moment the phone approves the new screen.
Because the browser keeps its own copy of the session, clearing that browser's site data ends the login. You will not get a warning first.
Two ways to log in
QR code login is the default method. The computer shows a code, and the phone camera reads it. If nobody scans the code for a while, it refreshes, so a page left open too long usually needs a reload before the scan works.
Phone number linking is a pairing option, not a text-message sign-in. You enter the phone number registered to your WhatsApp account, and the web page shows a one-time code. You then type that code into the phone. This route helps when the camera is broken or the screen is hard to scan, but the phone still approves the link.
Desktop apps for Windows and Mac pair in a similar way. Setup happens inside the app, so the steps follow the browser method once the app is open.
How to log in with a QR code
- Open web.whatsapp.com in a supported browser on the computer.
- On the phone, open WhatsApp and go to Linked Devices. The menu is under Settings on iPhone and under the three-dot menu on most Android phones.
- Tap Link a Device and confirm with your fingerprint, Face ID or PIN if the phone asks.
- Point the phone camera at the code on screen until it scans.
- Wait a few seconds for chats to load in the browser.
If the scan fails, make sure the whole code sits inside the camera frame, raise the screen brightness, and reload the page for a fresh code. Keep the phone connected to the internet during setup, because the link cannot finish without it.
Why linked sessions log out
Linked sessions are not permanent. The primary phone does not need to stay online all the time, but a companion session can end after a long period of inactivity. When that happens, WhatsApp Web asks you to scan again. WhatsApp also limits how many companion devices one account can link at the same time, so an old session you forgot about can take a slot that a new one needs. Check the exact limit in WhatsApp's own help pages, because it can change between app versions.
This matters most for a spare phone kept in a drawer as a work number. Its chats stop syncing to the browser until someone opens WhatsApp on that phone and scans again. For a broader view of running several sessions, read the WhatsApp Login Web Guide 2026 on multi-device management.
Security risks on shared and public computers
Anyone who can open an active WhatsApp Web session can read its chats and send messages as you. The risk is higher on library, office or hotel machines. Choose the log out option in WhatsApp Web when you finish, and do not tick a "keep me signed in" option on a device you do not own. If you forgot a session, open Linked Devices on the phone and remove it. That ends access from that screen.
Only scan codes from a page you typed yourself, and check the address before you link anything. A browser session is also tied to identifying signals about that browser, which is why browser fingerprinting is harder to avoid than cookies. Clearing cookies alone does not remove that footprint.
QR code login compared with phone number linking
| Factor | QR code login | Phone number linking |
|---|---|---|
| Needs a working phone camera | Yes | No |
| What you do on the phone | Scan the code on screen | Enter the one-time code shown on the computer |
| Typical use | Everyday desktop use | Broken camera or awkward screen angle |
| Who approves the link | The primary phone | The primary phone |
Both methods end with the same approval on the phone, so neither one lets a computer sign in without it.
Practical takeaway
Before you rely on WhatsApp Web, open Linked Devices on your phone and remove any session you no longer use. Open the main phone regularly so companion sessions stay active. On any computer you do not control, log out before you leave, and treat every QR code as a sign-in request that you approve yourself.