How to Install WhatsApp on Linux

WhatsApp is a cross-platform mobile messaging app that allows you to exchange messages world wide without paying for SMS. Also, we can exchange unlimited images, video and audio messages.

WhatsApp is based on Android, so you have to install Official Android SDK (Android Emulator) or GynuMotion (Android Emulator) before proceeding WhatsApp installation on your system.

In this article, we’ll explain how to install WhatsApp in Linux using Android emulator.

1) Installing Android Emulator

Refer the following Article to install Android SDK on Linux.

2) Downloading WhatsApp

Use the below command to download the WhatsApp package.

wget http://www.whatsapp.com/android/current/WhatsApp.apk

3) Installing ADB Package

You need to install the Android Debug Bridge (adb) package in order to manage ‘apk’ files on Linux.

sudo apt-get install android-tools-adb

4) Installing WhatsApp

Navigate to the Android Virtual Device (AVD) location and install the ‘WhatsApp.apk’ package using the ‘adb’ command as shown below. Our device is located at /home/magesh/.android/avd/Android.avd

sudo adb install WhatsApp.apk
2428 KB/s (17745252 bytes in 7.135s)
	pkg: /data/local/tmp/WhatsApp.apk
Success

5) Configuring WhatsApp

Once installed, you can see the WhatsApp icon in the AVD. Just double click the WhatsApp icon for further configuration.

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Hit Agree and Continue button to accept WhatsApp Terms and conditions.

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Confirm your country code and enter you phone number, then hit Ok to Verify your phone number.

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It works with WhatsApp server to register your device based on your phone number.

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Confirm your Phone number, then hit Ok.

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SMS verification will be send to given number. Device will automatically detect the verification SMS send by WhatsApp then move forward to next page. Sit back and relax until verification done.

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If auto verification is failed, enter the verification code manually.

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Update profile information.

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WhatsApp Welcome screen, then hit Continue.

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Invite your friends.

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Start chatting with your friends now.

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Please stay tune with us…Good Luck.

About Magesh Maruthamuthu

Love to play with all Linux distribution

View all posts by Magesh Maruthamuthu

42 Comments on “How to Install WhatsApp on Linux”

  1. I went through the whole process, but after installing whatsapp i tried setting it up and it tells me whatsapp has a problem and need to be installed again……then it gives me the option to uninstall whatsapp
    Tried Unistall and install again but the problem is as it is there please update on the same

          1. Hi Magesh, I’ve managed to get Whatsapp to work now.

            My solution is to ensure that the AVD to use ARM CPU/ABI – not “Intel Atom”

            Hope someone else will find this info useful.

            Thanks!

  2. I rarely write remarks, however i did some searching and
    wound up here How To Install WhatsApp In Linux | 2daygeek.com.

    And I actually do have a couple of questions for you if it’s allright.
    Is it only me or does it appear like a few of the comments look
    as if they are written by brain dead individuals?
    😛 And, if you are posting at other sites, I would like to follow everything
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    or linkedin profile?

  3. I used to have whatsapp in my old phone but I couldn’t install it again in my new phone. it was working fine in my old phone yesterday, but now it shows that I need to install a new version which I couldn’t fined. please help. I alway use whatsapp as my primary chat app

  4. Hi, am sorry it entered by error! My OS is SliTaz 4.0 from http://www.slitaz.org (I started to use it when my hdd couldn’t boot but now is my favorite.) How do I do it? We do not use those commands; instead we use su [ENTER] paS$W0rD [ENTER] then to get packages tazinstall appName [ENTER]. Some apps may not be found on the repository!

    Question: How do i get and use this app?

  5. Unable to fetch some archives, maybe run apt-get update or try with –fix-missing?
    What to do

  6. hallo am fedrick like now am trying to install whatsapp on my dessktop the problem is that,E: Unable to lock the administration directory (/var/lib/dpkg/), is another process using it?

      1. Hello magesh am facing another problem
        (* daemon not running. starting it now on port 5037 *
        * daemon started successfully *
        error: device not found
        – waiting for device -)
        WHAT CAN I DO

  7. Trying to install WhatsApp in my desk top with Linux Mint 17.1 Cinnamon Edition LTS version for 32 bit
    While in step 4 following message received & unable to proceed

    “vasudevan@vasudevan-pc ~ $ adb install WhatsApp.apk
    * daemon not running. starting it now on port 5037 *
    * daemon started successfully *
    error: device not found
    – waiting for device –

  8. hanks its quite long but worth it……..I went through the whole process, but after installing whatsapp i tried setting it up and it tells me whatsapp has a problem and need to be installed again……then it gives me the option to uninstall whatsapp

  9. what is the minimum spec for computer so that whatapp and android emulator not going to sluggish?
    mmmannnn i wish zukerberg hurry and make the web version of whatsapp …

  10. Magesh,
    Thanks for this tutorial.
    I would like to know if, once installed on Linux using my mobile phone number, Whatsapp (that I presently use on my mobile phone) will synchronize between the emulated version on Linux and my phone ?

  11. adb install WhatsApp.apk
    * daemon not running. starting it now on port 5037 *
    * daemon started successfully *
    error: device not found
    – waiting for device –

    I AM STRUCK here no processing after this… pls help

  12. @ Alex,

    Use the below command to check whether the package is available in your distribution or not
    # dpkg -l | grep android-tools-adb

    If no, use the below repository to add it.

    # sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntu-sdk-team/ppa
    # sudo apt-get update
    # sudo apt-get install android-tools-adb

  13. nithin@KILLER ~ $ sudo apt-get install android-tools-adb
    [sudo] password for nithin:
    Reading package lists… Done
    Building dependency tree
    Reading state information… Done
    E: Unable to locate package android-tools-adb

    i’m getting a reply like this. what should i do now to install whatsapp?

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