To download WhatsApp on a Windows 10 laptop, open the Microsoft Store, search for WhatsApp, and select Get (or Install). Open the app and it shows a QR code. On your phone, open WhatsApp, go to Linked devices > Link a device, and scan the code. Your chats appear on the laptop. You need WhatsApp set up on a phone first; the desktop app is a companion to it.
Applies to: Windows 10 64-bit, version 22H2, and Windows 11. Windows 10 reached the end of standard support on October 14, 2025, and app makers may drop support for it over time, so WhatsApp Web is a good fallback.
Install WhatsApp from the Microsoft Store
- Select Start and open Microsoft Store.
- Search for WhatsApp and choose the app published by WhatsApp Inc.
- Select Get or Install and wait for it to finish.
- Select Open.
You can also go to whatsapp.com/download, which sends you to the same Store listing. Avoid other download sites; they may offer fake or modified versions.
Link your phone
- On your phone, open WhatsApp.
- Android: tap the three dots > Linked devices. iPhone: tap Settings > Linked devices.
- Tap Link a device and unlock your phone if asked.
- Point the phone at the QR code on your laptop screen.
If scanning doesn’t work, select Log in with phone number on the laptop and enter the code it shows into your phone instead.
Using WhatsApp on the laptop
- Send messages, photos and files, and make voice and video calls with your laptop’s microphone and camera.
- Your phone doesn’t need to stay online after linking; the laptop works on its own for a while, and you can link up to four devices.
- To start WhatsApp quickly, pin it to the taskbar or create a WhatsApp shortcut on the desktop.
- Lock the app: in WhatsApp on the laptop, open Settings > Privacy and turn on App lock if your version has it, then set a password.
- Log out when you leave: Settings > General > Log out, or remove the laptop from your phone’s Linked devices list.
- Turn off previews: in Windows Settings > System > Notifications, select WhatsApp and turn off message previews so texts don’t pop up on screen.
Option: WhatsApp Web (no install)
Go to web.whatsapp.com in Edge or Chrome and scan the QR code the same way. It’s handy on a shared or work PC where you can’t install apps. Close the tab and log out when you’re done on a shared computer.
Troubleshooting
The Store says the app isn’t compatible
Your Windows 10 is out of date or 32-bit. Install updates in Settings > Update & Security. On a 32-bit PC, use WhatsApp Web.
The QR code won’t scan
Make sure your phone has internet, zoom the window so the code is larger, and clean the phone’s camera. Or use the phone-number option.
Calls don’t work
Allow microphone and camera access in Settings > Privacy > Microphone and Camera.
Microsoft Store won’t open
Reset it with wsreset, or use WhatsApp Web.
Frequently asked questions
Is WhatsApp for Windows free?
Yes.
Can I use WhatsApp on a laptop without a phone?
No. You need an active WhatsApp account on a phone to link the desktop app.
Can I export group contacts?
Yes, with a workaround: downloading WhatsApp group contacts into Excel.
Matt Jacobs writes and maintains the guides on Support Your Tech, which he started in 2017. He spent most of his career keeping small-business PCs running and still takes the occasional consulting job, so the steps here come from fixing the same problems on other people’s computers. Every guide is checked on his own Windows 11, Windows 10, Mac, iPhone and iPad before it goes up.