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WhatsApp is the most popular messaging app with over 2 billion users, but what is confusing is that it doesn’t have a dedicated app for those with an Apple Watch. There is a workaround however but it does come with some drawbacks, the functionality that can be achieved with WhatsApp on Apple Watches is limited. You can still receive notifications, and reply by using the inbuilt microphone or choose from a list of predetermined replies.
If you’ve just bought an Apple Watch and want to use WhatsApp then continue reading this guide below.
How to receive WhatsApp notifications
Step
Enabling Notifications
Although there isn’t an official app there is a workaround to allow Whatsapp notifications to synchronize from your phone to your watch. If you have the app on your iPhone then you will be able to recieive notifications on your Apple Watch as well.
To enable notifications on iPhone:
- Go to Settings.
- Choose Notifications
- Select WhatsApp and choose for notification to show in the notification center and lock screen.
To enable notifications on Apple Watch
- Go to Apple Watch app on iPhone
- Select Notifications
- Enable WhatsApp mirror alerts
How to reply on WhatsApp for Apple Watch
Step
Replying on Apple Watch
Quick reply
If you are using the notifications, just tap on the notification that you want to reply to and a set of ready-made responses will become available such as; “What’s up?” or “Hello”.
Custom reply
Pressing on the empty field will prompt you to enter a custom reply. This can be achieved by using Siri dictation for voice-to-text as well as being able to reply using scribble input.
Third-Party WhatsApp apps for Apple Watch
There are quite a few third-party apps that offer increased functionality such as being able to view photos and videos, use voice messages, and access group chats. These apps include Chatify and WatchChat. They are free to download, but not being official WhatsApp apps can cause compatibility issues when WhatsApp itself is updated.
Will there be a WhatsApp app for Apple Watch?
As of writing, there are no plans for Meta, the owners of whats app to release their official app for Apple Watch.
Final Thoughts
Although functionality is limited, these workarounds will help you to use WhatsApp on the go when you are without your phone. Hopefully, Meta will release an official app in the future so we can all enjoy WhatsApp on our Apple Watches.