At last! WhatsApp has launched a web interface, meaning you can check your messages and chat to friends without having to pick up your phone. There are more than half a billion regular WhatsApp users globally. Everyday, more than 700 million photos and 100 million videos are shared.

Available for all devices except Apple (due to platform limitations), the desktop version is basically a mirror of the WhatsApp you're used to. You'll also need to have Google's free Chrome browser installed on your computer or laptop and have the latest version of WhatsApp on your phone.

Once you've installed the WhatsApp smartphone update, click on Menu and then select WhatsApp Web. Open up web.whatsapp.com on your computer and scan the QR code on the screen using your phone. You'll be instantly logged in to WhatsApp and be able to view all the conversations exactly as they appear on your phone. All the messages will be saved on your phone too.

You will need to be connected to the internet on your phone – connect to Wi-Fi to save data – for the desktop version to work.

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