WhatsApp Web To Launch On Windows 10 Edge Browser
Following a successful launch earlier this year for Chrome users, WhatsApp Web will soon be supported on the default Windows 10 browser, Edge, as reported by Neurogadget.
Microsoft will likely be relieved to see the popular WhatsApp Web come to Windows 10 early after some app developers were slow to embrace Windows 8.1, the previous version of the popular operating system. If others follow suit and embrace Windows 10 as WhatsApp Web’s developers are doing, it can only be good news for users as it will significantly increase the functionality available in the ecosystem.
Describing Edge as a “powerful browser,” Neurogadget gives users a run through on how to get a sneak peek at the as-yet-unreleased WhatsApp Web for Edge. The process involves simply hitting F12, navigating to the Emulation Tab, and changing the User Agent String from Edge to Opera, Chrome, or Mozilla Firefox. Once this change is made, WhatsApp Web users can simply navigate to the WhatsApp Web page as usual and proceed with the QR code scanning step.
Windows 10 users can then enjoy the power of making voice and video calls and sending messages on WhatsApp Web without waiting for the official release of an Edge-supported version. For those who would prefer to wait, neither WhatsApp Web nor Microsoft have announced an official launch date for WhatsApp Web for Edge. However, the International Business Times reports that WhatsApp Web support is likely to come in the form of a future Windows 10 OS update.
WhatsApp Web has been going through a series of upgrades itself since launch and is rapidly bringing much of the functionality of the WhatsApp mobile app to the web experience. Android Police covered the key core updates last month, reporting that it was the first major upgrade since launch just under six months earlier. The main WhatsApp Web updates were reported to include the ability to edit profile photos, managing chats, and improvements to the WhatsApp Web contact and group info panes.
WhatsApp Web’s move towards delivering a full app experience through each of the four main PC browsers will likely drive continued growth as many Windows 10 users will opt to use the default Edge browser. The deficiencies of previous versions of Internet Explorer often thwarted attempts to bring web apps, such as WhatsApp Web, to the entire ecosystem (indeed it looks as if IE won’t ever support WhatsApp Web). Microsoft’s public support for bringing WhatsApp web to Edge is a good sign that they will support more functionality than they have in the past, allowing more innovative services to continue to be delivered to their users.
Are you going to take WhatsApp Web on Edge for a test drive or wait for the official launch?
[Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images]
