There is still no official WhatsApp application for Apple Watch. However, it is possible to receive WhatsApp notifications and reply to messages from your Apple Watch. If you want to benefit from more advanced functionalities, you can also use third-party services.
Below you will find answers to questions such as how to receive WhatsApp notifications and send messages via Apple Watch.
Why Isn’t There an Apple Watch App for WhatsApp?
Meta, formerly known as Facebook and the owner of WhatsApp, would likely want the world’s most popular chat service to be available on the world’s most popular smartwatch. However, there are several reasons why Meta may not release a WhatsApp app anytime soon, or perhaps ever.
Firstly, Meta might believe that WhatsApp doesn’t need a smartwatch application. As the second most popular social network worldwide after Facebook and YouTube, WhatsApp has performed quite well without an app. Facebook probably considered potential future costs and decided it wasn’t worth it.
Secondly, and most importantly, it could be that Facebook desires a single, unified infrastructure for its messaging applications. In this scenario, Facebook might think that having WhatsApp exist on the Apple Watch doesn’t make sense.
Does WhatsApp Work on Apple Watch?
As explained above, WhatsApp does work on Apple Watch. You can send and receive messages and view your message history using WhatsApp on your Apple Watch.
To use WhatsApp on your Apple Watch, you will primarily need the following:
- To be using at least an Apple Watch Series 3 or a newer model.
- To install the latest watchOS version.
- To have the WhatsApp application installed on your iPhone.
Methods to Install WhatsApp on Apple Watch
WatchChat 2
WatchChat 2 is an application that allows you to use almost all of WhatsApp’s features on your Apple Watch. The app, which you can download from the App Store, includes some in-app purchase options. Besides these, you can use some WhatsApp features, albeit in a limited capacity.
To set up WatchChat 2, you should follow these steps:
- Go to the Watch app on your iPhone and tap on the App Store.
- Type ‘WatchChat 2’ in the search box and download the app to your Apple Watch.
- Open the app, and before navigating to Settings > WhatsApp Web > Scan QR code, go to WhatsApp on your iPhone.
- Scan the QR code that appears on your Apple Watch.
If the QR code doesn’t appear, your internet connection is likely too slow. You can try connecting to another WiFi network and attempting again. If the problem persists even after 60 seconds, you can try restarting both devices. This action will likely make the QR code visible.
The features offered by WatchChat 2 include:
- You can open incoming chat notifications directly on your Apple Watch.
- It allows you to play voice messages from WhatsApp.
- It features a keyboard layout reminiscent of old mobile phones, with 3 letters on each button.
- While messaging, you can select and send emojis from the emoji tab at the bottom of the screen.
However, the application is not without its minor flaws. For example, it might sometimes take a little while to see new messages. It usually takes a maximum of three seconds, which isn’t very long, but we can say it’s longer than what you’re used to with WhatsApp. Additionally, it’s important for your iPhone to have a constant internet connection. Otherwise, the application won’t be able to refresh.
Finally, you can use the app for free, but what you can do in this version is somewhat limited. The paid version includes some in-app purchases and offers features like watching videos, starting chats, viewing photos, and customizing quick replies.
WatchsApp – Chat for Watch
This application, much like WatchChat 2, allows you to use some of WhatsApp’s basic features on your Apple Watch. The WatchsApp application page highlights the following main features:
- Replying to messages
- Sending voice messages
- Viewing messages
In fact, we can safely say that this application covers most of WhatsApp’s essential features. Furthermore, it is claimed that the app allows you to view sent photos or videos in 1080p resolution.
The application, which offers some Premium subscriptions, provides different services for each subscription level. You can find the download link for the app there.