How to Install WhatsApp on Linux

WhatsApp Messenger is like a global chat hub, letting you send text messages, make voice or video calls, and share photos, documents, or locations securely, per WhatsApp Official. Launched in 2009 and acquired by Meta in 2014, it’s now a cornerstone of communication, with end-to-end encryption ensuring privacy. Available on Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, and via web browsers, WhatsApp is used by businesses, pentesters, and casual users alike. On Linux, third-party clients like WhatsApp-for-Linux or WhatsDesk bridge the gap, integrating with WhatsApp Web for a desktop-like experience.

This article is going to guide you through how to download and install WhatsApp on Linux. The steps you will get in this article works for most of the Linux distribution like Ubuntu, Kali, Debian, Red Hat, and other Linux distributions.

Installation of WhatsApp on the Linux Operating System

Installing WhatsApp via the terminal is like giving your Linux system precise instructions to fetch and set up a chat app, per Canonical. Using Snap, a universal package manager, you can install WhatsApp-for-Linux, a third-party client that syncs with WhatsApp Web, on Ubuntu, Kali Linux, Debian, or Fedora.

Note: For this guide, we have used Ubuntu Linux distribution. Unfortunately, there is no official WhatsApp client for Linux. However, the good news is that you can still use WhatsApp on Linux through user-created clients. These clients integrate with WhatsApp's web interface to provide a smooth experience.

Method 1: Installation of WhatsApp using Terminal

Step 1: Prerequisite Required to install WhatsApp in Linux Operating System:

• To run privileged commands, you must have sudo or root access.
• Your server should have the apt or apt-get program installed.
• Your server should have the snap utility installed.

Step 2: Your Operating System must be updated.

It's usually good to update your OS first with the apt update or apt-get update commands, as illustrated below. This will download and install all of the newest Ubuntu Repository versions.

sudo apt-get update

Step 3: Install Whatsapp. The newest WhatsApp-for-Linux package may then be installed using the snap install WhatsApp-for-Linux command, as shown below. It's worth noting that the Ubuntu Repo has an unauthorized version of the WhatsApp programme.

sudo snap install whatsapp-linux-app

Step 4: Open WhatsApp. We may navigate to Activities and then type WhatsApp into the Search Box. It should look like this. We may open it by clicking on it. We can now scan the code and connect it to your system after being unlocked.

Method 2: Installation of WhatsApp using GUI

Step 1: To begin, launch the Ubuntu Software programme. Hold down the super key and put the application's name into the search field to do so.

Step 2: You should see a programme catalog when launching the Ubuntu Software application. Then, navigate to the search bar within the app in the top left of your screen.

Step 3: Type "WhatsApp" into the search bar and pick the WhatsDesk app that looks like the one in the image below.

Step 4: Select the software from the Ubuntu interface to execute it after being installed.

When we first launch the WhatsDesk client, we are given instructions on how to use the programme by scanning a QR code and syncing it to our phone.

Method 3: Creating a Desktop Launcher for WhatsApp Web

To access WhatsApp quickly on your Linux desktop, you can create a desktop launcher for it. Here's how:

• Open your text editor and create a new file.
  Copy the following code and paste it into the file:

[Desktop Entry]
Name=WhatsApp
Exec=firefox --new-window https://web.whatsapp.com/
Icon=whatsapp
Type=Application
Categories=Network;InstantMessaging;

Note: Replace "firefox" with the name of the web browser you are using, and replace "whatsapp" with the name of the icon you want to use for the launcher.

• Save the file with the name "whatsapp.desktop" in the "~/.local/share/applications/" directory.

After saving the file, you should be able to see an icon for WhatsApp on your desktop. Clicking on this icon will launch WhatsApp Web in your default web browser.

Conclusion

In this guide, we've covered various methods to install WhatsApp on Linux operating system, including using the terminal and GUI. By following these steps, you can easily set up WhatsApp on your Linux machine and enjoy seamless communication with your contacts.