WhatsApp is a popular app for sending SMS messages for free (for a year trial, which then becomes a yearly subscription fee) from your smart phone. We previously shared how to install WhatsApp on a PC with Blue Stacks App Player. Now thanks to a web based Android emulator called Manymo, you can load WhatsApp from a web browser. This includes Windows, Mac, and Linux computers or tablets. Manymo is a JavaScript based emulator and may notwork on every browser.
Manymo will emulate the Android version
of WhatsApp, allowing features for chat, contact sending and message
history. WhatsApp on Manymo isn’t without flaws. Set up can be confusing
as you cannot use an existing WhatsApp account.
There's also a slow activation process and there can be keyboard input
issues on some devices. Still, having WhatsApp on a single web account
is convenient.
We’ll show you how to get Manymo and WhatsApp running in a browser.
Set Up
You will first need to download the WhatsApp APK from the official site here. Click on the "Download Now" button and save it to an easy to find location.
The second step is to create an account on Manymo.
The sign up instructions are very straight forward; they require your
name, e-mail, and a login password. Check the "agree to terms" button
and hit "Sign Up." Head over to your e-mail account and confirm your new
Manymo account.
Emulating
From the
Manymo homepage select "Launch Emulators" which will take you to the
emulator page. In the top right corner, click "App" to be taken to an
app selection page. From here select "Upload App" to be taken to yet
another page. Select "Browse" and a
window will appear. Locate to the folder you saved the WhatsApp APK and
select it. You won't get a confirmation that the upload was successful
so simply hit "Continue" to move on.
You
will now be back on the emulator page. Select which resolution you wish
to use WhatsApp with. Lower resolutions will include a virtual keyboard
in the browser. This is handy if your device does not have a physical
keyboard. However, this will not be necessary on desktop and laptop
computers. When you're satisfied with a resolution, press "Launch" to
turn on the emulator. Wait a short time and WhatsApp will automatically
open in the emulator.
Authorizing WhatsApp
You will
need to create a new WhatsApp account for Manymo; the emulator will not
allow preexisting accounts. To create an account WhatsApp will need to
send you a SMS. First select your country, put in your phone number and
hit "OK."
You will
now have to wait for a SMS verification, which is not optional. The
automatic confirmation rarely works correctly on Manymo and there is no
option to cancel. You will likely need to wait a full ten minutes to move on to the next step. The
odd part is WhatsApp may send a SMS during your wait but it depends on
your phone number. In the US, you may get a text within a few minutes.
European phone numbers will not receive a text. Those still without a
code must press "Call me". This will call your phone and provide
recording with your confirmation.
WhatsApp will now work in a web browser. Because it's a new account
you won't have any contacts so you'll have to tell friends your screen
name or import your contacts.
WhatsApp up and running
To access WhatsApp from your browser, just log into Manymo and WhatsApp will be in the Apps tab.
However,
since WhatsApp is already available on many devices only makes sense if
you want to use WhatsApp on your laptop or desktop. Onscreen
keyboards also pose and issue since they do not work on mobile versions
of Manymo. You can switch to lower resolution emulators to activate the
external keyboard. On larger devices such as tablets this serves as a
work around. On smaller devices the external keyboard may be too tiny to
use precisely.
You have to jump through a few hoops to get WhatsApp working on Manymo and it can't use an existing account. The
process can be a little confusing and there can be serious delays
depending on which country your phone number belongs to. However, the
end result is the convenience of having WhatsApp on a variety of devices.
Given the amount of time it takes to authorize an account and the lack
of standard onscreen keyboard, you'll need to weigh if the effort is
worth the reward.