Better late than never: Facebook-owned mobile messaging app WhatsApp has debuted a much-requested web app, allowing users to send and receive messages through desktops. The service is currently available across all major mobile platforms except iOS which the company says is "due to Apple platform limitations." It is also limited to Google Chrome right now with support for more browsers expected soon. WhatsApp says that users can open web.whatsapp.com on Google Chrome and scan the QR code through the new "WhatsApp web" option within the app to pair it with the web client. It notes that this web client will just be mirroring all conversations and messages from its mobile app, which means all the messages will continue to remain primarily on the user's mobile phone. WhatsApp also adds that the phone needs to have an active Internet connection for the web client to work. It seems like WhatsApp is still rolling out this service, since we weren't able to spot the requisite WhatsApp web option on the Android app at the time of writing his article. (We checked on the latest version of WhatsApp (2.11.498) on a Nexus 4 running Android 5.0) https://twitter.com/krazyfrog/status/557978496840916993 Implications This web client would likely make things significantly easier for companies like news organizations & education companies among others who've started using WhatsApp to engage their audience. In August last year, BBC World Services & Global News Apps Editor Trushar Barot had said that WhatsApp had offered the most direct engagement with their audience during BBC's Indian Election messaging pilot, however it took them a lot more time on WhatsApp since it doesn’t…
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