Using WhatsApp on FreeBSD

balanga · Mar 19, 2020

I've just discovered that I can use WhatsApp on a PC and much prefer it to trying to type on my phone.... I'm using Windows at the moment and just wondered if it's possible to get it working on FreeBSD...

ehanneken · Mar 19, 2020

There isn't an application for FreeBSD, but you can use the web app. I keep it open in a pinned tab in Firefox.

balanga · Mar 19, 2020

Does it work on Chromium under FreeBSD?

zirias@ · Mar 19, 2020

Why shouldn't it? It's just a wep app, works fine

ehanneken · Mar 19, 2020

balanga said:
Does it work on Chromium under FreeBSD?

I don't have Chromium installed, but I can't think of a reason why it wouldn't. WhatsApp says Chrome works.

balanga · Mar 19, 2020

Indeed it does work - I had this idea that it would only work under Windows.....

wolffnx · Mar 19, 2020

balanga said:
Does it work on Chromium under FreeBSD?

yes,it work on chromium, i' use it in my work every day

stream · Sep 9, 2020

I just read that Whatsapp uses Freebsd. Hope they can make an app specifically for Freebsd desktop users

Cheers to that.

ekvz · Sep 9, 2020

stream said:
I just read that Whatsapp uses Freebsd. Hope they can make an app specifically for Freebsd desktop users Cheers to that.

Now that's highly unlikely i'd say. It took companies ages to even admit that Linux desktops are a thing. For anything more niche than that there sadly is next to no hope seeing support by mass market companies.

stream · Sep 10, 2020

true. but for companies that rely on freebsd, it might make sense to support the community by developing niche products for that platform- if it is not a huge build that is..

a6h · Sep 10, 2020

For me, it's very unfortunate, being forced to use IMs. The safest option on FreeBSD, which I've tested and it works to host four IM programs, namely Whatsapp, Skype, Team and Telegram is Chromium.

richardtoohey2 · Sep 10, 2020

ekvz said:
Now that's highly unlikely i'd say.

Eh?

WhatsApp Blog

Welcome to the WhatsApp Blog, your source for WhatsApp news and app updates. Learn about new WhatsApp features, how to customize settings, privacy, and more.

blog.whatsapp.com

It's obviously an old link but WhatsApp were certainly one of the big users of FreeBSD.

a6h · Sep 10, 2020

facebook is busy shoehorning React to web/dev market. An official whatsapp for FreeBSD, it's probably never going to happen.

richardtoohey2 · Sep 10, 2020

I was replying to the "highly unlikely to use FreeBSD" - and WhatsApp did use it (can't see anything saying if they do or don't any more) for server-side. But re-reading what was said it was more about the wish for a FreeBSD client, so yes, that seems unlikely.

Mjölnir · Sep 10, 2020

Beeing an Open Source & Open Protocols advocate, I'd like to promote reasonable free & open alternatives. I.e. many IM clients running under FreeBSD support cross-posting. It's your free decision if you want to feed the commercial data kraken with your private metadata... So even if your friends are in WhatsApe, you don't have to.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_software_and_protocols_for_distributed_social_networking
The Fediverse uses XMPP for Instant Messaging

a6h · Sep 10, 2020

mjollnir said:
The Fediverse

[THUMBS UP]

Zvoni · Sep 10, 2020

Nevermind that WhatsApp relies on a phone-number being present on the device, otherwise you wouldn't be able to use WhatsApp-Call (or whatever it's called).
They don't even have a client for iPad (there is this "WhatsPad" or whatever it's called, but that one relies on a iPhone with WhatsApp being present, and it's similiar to the WebApp).
OTOH, with Facebook Messenger or Skype you can do "phone"-calls from an iPad, so i think it's a consciuos decision of WhatsApp to provide clients just for mobile devices with a "real" phone-number