WhatsApp is an incredibly popular iPhone app, connecting more than one billion active members worldwide every day. It lets you send messages to friends or groups of friends via Wi-Fi or 4G / 5G and save on your phone bill. (Of course, if you exceed your limits, you can pay for the data, so don’t go crazy!)
Sadly WhatsApp is only available for the iPhone. There is no version of the app for the iPad (or iPod Touch).
But do not despair. In this tutorial, we will show you how to use WhatsApp on iPad using WhatsApp Web. This service connects to your iPhone (or Android device) WhatsApp account and forwards messages to your iPad, allowing you to send and receive messages, photos and videos. It’s not entirely native WhatsApp on the iPad, but it’s the next best thing.
WhatsApp for iPad release date
Although there is no version of WhatsApp on the iPad right now, there may be one. In August 2021 it was reported that a Whatsapp app for the iPad is coming soon with a project to bring messaging app development to the iPad (and Android tablets).
Then in January 2022 WhatsApp boss Will Cathcart admitted in an interview that people had been asking for an iPad app for a long time. Cathcart has revealed that there is already a lot of infrastructure to develop an iPad app, but he did not make an immediate commitment.
Since then reports have surfaced that WhatsApp for the iPad will be released with multi-device support. WABetaInfo tweeted in May 2022: “Multi-Device 2.0 will allow people to link an additional mobile phone or tablet (WhatsApp for iPad / Android tablet) with the same WhatsApp account in the future.”
Maybe 2022 will be the year that WhatsApp comes to the iPad, and in that case the Mac too! Read our separate tutorial on how to use Whatsapp on Mac.
How to get WhatsApp on iPad
Follow these steps to get WhatsApp on an iPad:
- Open Safari on your iPad and go to web.whatsapp.com. As long as you have iPadOS 13 or later, it will automatically load the correct desktop version of WhatsApp Web.
- iOS 12 and earlier users will be taken to the WhatsApp home page instead. To resolve this, tap and hold the Refresh button to the right of the website address. After a second or two, tap the ‘Load desktop site’ option.
- You will now see the familiar WhatsApp web interface, complete with a QR code to pair with your iPhone. Open iPhone settings, go to WhatsApp web and scan the code to pair the two devices.
- The page should now load and display all your recent WhatsApp messages, including any media or voice notes.
Be aware that there are some limitations when using this solution. Most importantly, notifications from web browsers are not supported on iOS / iPadOS when the service is used on a Mac or PC. You will not be notified of new messages.
In addition to this and a few small bugs, however, the service is quite easy to use and a great option for WhatsApp users interested in accessing the service on the iPad.
WhatsApp Web is a free and easy way to access WhatsApp services on your iPad While you won’t get notifications (like when you use the service on a Mac or PC), it’s a great way to easily access your messages on a tablet.
Moving from Android to iPhone and want to bring your WhatsApp messages with you? Read: How to Remove WhatsApp Messages from Android to iPhone.