You are moving your first steps in the smartphone world, you’ve just installed WhatsApp and, curious about the ability to benefit from PC service, you’ve decided to try WhatsApp Web (the WhatsApp Web interface that lets you chat directly from your browser). At the time of logging in, however, you were stuck because you did not understand how to scan WhatsApp QR code. Well, you do not have to be ashamed: it’s something you can understand for those who, like you, have never had a particularly brilliant relationship with technology. The only fact that you’ve tried using WhatsApp from your PC is nowhere to look for a solution to your computer doubts is a step forward, so I’ll be happy to help.

If you spend five minutes of your free time (it will not take long, promised!), I can explain how to scanner  QR code, that kind of barcode format from white and black squares that WhatsApp Web proposes to perform access to the service. This is such a simple operation that – I bet – at the end of the reading, you will wonder how you did not get there alone!

The procedure to follow is very similar to both Android and iPhone, however, I will provide you with detailed instructions for both operating systems. I will also suggest a way to read the QR code received within WhatsApp chat so you can discover the content without having to use another smartphone. So, are you ready to start? Well, find all the information you need right here!

Scan WhatsApp QR Code on Android

If you want to learn how to scan WhatsApp QR code and use an Android terminal , link to WhatsApp Web or open the WhatsApp for Windows and macOS official client and wait for the QR code to be scanned.

Now open WhatsApp on your smartphone (or tablet) and select the Chat tab at the top. Then go to the button (…) located at the top right and choose the WhatsApp Web item from the menu that opens. On the next screen, if it’s the first time you link your WhatsApp to WhatsApp Web or WhatsApp for Windows / macOS, you’ll be presented with a slideshow screen to explain how the service works.

So press OK, HO CAPITO and scan the QR code simply by framing it with your camera’s camera. Be sure to frame the code keeping you the right distance from the PC with your hand: the code must be inside the lightbox and its edges must match the white markers you see on your phone or tablet screen.

If it is not the first time you use WhatsApp Web or WhatsApp for PC, you can start scanning a new QR code and then access WhatsApp Web and WhatsApp for computers from a new workstation by pressing the button (…) by selecting the item WhatsApp Web from the menu that opens and pressing the (+) button located at the top right.

By leaving the check next to Restore Connected, you can access the WhatsApp Web or WhatsApp for computers without having to first frame the QR code. This will save you much valuable time but also expose yourself to new potential privacy risks. By letting access to WhatsApp open, in fact, anyone who puts their hands on your PC will be able to access your conversations simply by opening your browser or by launching the official WhatsApp client for Windows or macOS. Think about it before proceeding and scanning the QR code!

Scan QR codes received on WhatsApp

Did you receive a QR code within a conversation on WhatsApp and you do not know how to find out the content? Do not worry, all you need is a free application that you can find on the Google Play Store: its name is QR Droid and is extremely easy to use.

To install QR Droid on your smartphone (or tablet), open the Play Store (the icon with the ▶ ︎ colored icon located on the Android home screen or on the screen where there are icons of all installed apps on the device), look for the QR Droid inside, and then tap first on the application icon (the green robotic in the QR code) and then on the Install / Accept button .

When the installation is complete, start QR Droid, skip the initial presentation screen, and then click on the icon with the 9 squares you see on the top right and then on the More … button that you find on the screen that opens. At this point, choose the Image Decoding option , point to the application with which you want to select the image that contains the QR code (eg Google Photos or Gallery) and proceed with the selection of the image to be decoded.

Within a few moments, QR Droid should show you the content of the QR code in the selected image. If you can not find the image with the QR code you received on WhatsApp in the list of images saved on your smartphone (or your tablet), open the chat where the code was sent and start downloading the image pressing the arrow icon on its thumbnail. If you do not see any arrow on the thumbnail of the image, just click on the button, (…) placed in the top right, select the Share item from the menu that opens and choose an application to save the file (eg ES File Manager or any other file manager for Android).

Scan WhatsApp QR Code on iPhone

If you’re using an iPhone , you can scan WhatsApp’s QR code and access solutions like WhatsApp Web or the WhatsApp for Windows and MacOS official client following a simple procedure like the one previously seen for Android.

After you open WhatsApp Web or WhatsApp for your computer, wait for the QR code to be scanned, start WhatsApp on your “monafone” and select the Settingstab at the bottom right.

At this point, tap WhatsApp Web / Desktop , select Scanning the QR Code on the open screen, click on the OK button, HO CAPITO and frame the QR code you need to sign in to WhatsApp Web or WhatsApp for Windows and MacOS. Try to be accurate in scanning the code and keep you from the PC screen to the right distance.

As I did in the Android tutorial chapter, I still remind you that by leaving the check mark on the Restart feature you can save time by not scanning the WhatsApp Web / WhatsApp Desktop QR code again, but you can go potential privacy risks (access to services will remain open and your chats will potentially remain at the mercy of anyone who handles your PC).

Scan QR codes received on WhatsApp

Did your friend send you a QR code on WhatsApp and you do not know how to decrypt the content? No problem. By installing QR Code Reader by Scan , a free app on the App Store, you can download the QR Code image from your iPhone gallery (all images received through WhatsApp automatically end in the iOS gallery) and decrypt content in men that you do not say.

To install QR Code Reader by Scan on your iPhone, open the App Store (the icon with the letter “A” on the blue background), select the Search tab at the bottom right and search for QR Code Reader by Scan . After searching, locate the QR Code Reader by Scan icon (a gray QR code with a red line in the center) and proceed to install the app by pressing the Get / Install button located next to it. Use the fingerprint scanner to get the access.

Once completed, launching QR Code Reader by Scan allows you to access your iPhone’s camera and, if you feel right, to your geographic location (this is a potentially useful but not necessary feature for this tutorial). Then tap the photo icon at the top, allow the app to access the photo library and select the image that contains the QR code to “scan”.

Within a few seconds a screen with the content of the QR code in the image you have selected will appear. If in the iPhone gallery you can not find the image that contains the QR code you received on WhatsApp, open the famous messaging application, select the chat room that contains the QR code and presses the icon of the arrow mind thumbnail of the image to start downloading it locally.

Alternatively, if you do not see the arrow icon on the thumbnail of the image, directly select the thumbnail, click on the share button (the square icon with the arrow inside) located at the bottom left and select Save from the menu that opens

Scanning WhatsApp QR Codes on Other Systems

Although it is no longer actively developed as on Android and iOS, WhatsApp is also available on Windows 10 Mobile (where it still receives quite frequent updates) Nokia S60 , Nokia S40, and BlackBerry OS . If you have a smartphone equipped with one of these operating systems, open WhatsApp Web or the WhatsApp for Windows and macOS official client and follow the directions below to scan the QR code you need to use the service on your computer.

  • Windows 10 Mobile – clicks on the button (…) located at the bottom right and selects the whatsapp web item from the menu that opens.
  • Nokia S60 – Go to Menu and select the  WhatsApp Web item from the menu that opens.
  • BlackBerry – go to  Chat> Menu> WhatsApp Web .
  • BlackBerry 10 – scroll down the screen and select the WhatsApp Web entry.
  • Nokia S40 – scroll up and select the WhatsApp Web entry.

If you send a QR code to your chat and you want to view the content, use one of the many QR Code Scan apps available on your smartphone’s store.

Manage access to WhatsApp Web / Desktop

Manage access to WhatsApp Web DesktopFor privacy issues that I’ve talked to you several times during this post, I strongly encourage you to check out the WhatsApp Web and WhatsApp Desktop access list from time to time, so you can close any access as part of computers you do not use anymore and you’ll notice any unauthorized access to your account (quite remote, but not entirely non-existent).

To check the access list to WhatsApp Web and WhatsApp Desktop, start the WhatsApp application on your smartphone. At this point, if you’re using an Android device, first click on the button  (…)  located at the top right and then on the WhatsApp Web entry in the menu that opens. If you are using an iPhone , go to the Settings tab   (bottom right) and go to  WhatsApp Web / Desktop .

At this point, check out the list of all WhatsApp Web / WhatsApp Desktop sessions open, and if you are using an Android terminal, click on those you want to close, then confirm with the Disconnect button. If you use an iPhone , instead, locate the WhatsApp Web / Desktop sessions you want to close, swipe from right to left on them and click on the Disconnect button that appears side by side.

If you want, you can also close all WhatsApp Web and WhatsApp Desktop sessions that are currently active. How? Simply clicking on the Disconnect item from all computers and confirming it via the Disconnect button that appears on the screen.

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