How to Use WhatsApp on Your PC in Pakistan and Log Out Safely

Every step and limit below is taken from WhatsApp's own Help Center. New: WhatsApp Web may ask for a passkey. The guide also covers the +92 number format and safety on a computer that is not yours.

How to link WhatsApp to your PC with a QR code

1. Open WhatsApp on the computer. Use WhatsApp Web in the browser, or the WhatsApp app for Windows. A QR code appears on the screen.
2. Open WhatsApp on your phone. On Android, tap the three dots at the top right. On iPhone, tap Settings or your profile picture.
3. Tap Linked devices, then Link a device.
4. Confirm it is you on the phone. Use your fingerprint or face, or the PIN you use to unlock your phone.
5. Point your phone at the computer screen and scan the QR code.
6. If the browser asks for a passkey, click Continue and confirm with your fingerprint, face or screen lock. If your passkey is not synced to that computer, you may have to scan one more QR code.

If WhatsApp does not recognise the computer, it asks you to confirm, with the buttons Don't link and Link device. Only tap Link device if you are the one linking it, right now.

WhatsApp Web may ask for a passkey

WhatsApp says it "may require" a passkey when you link a phone to WhatsApp Web. A passkey uses the phone's own lock, such as a fingerprint, face or screen PIN, instead of a code. If you do not have one, WhatsApp may ask you to create it during linking. Our guide to setting up a WhatsApp passkey covers the phone side.

If linking stops at the passkey step on an old office PC, update the browser or use another computer.

How to link with your phone number instead

This helps if your phone camera is broken or will not focus on the screen. WhatsApp says the phone number method works only on WhatsApp for Windows and WhatsApp Web.

1. On the computer, click Link with phone number or Log in with phone number.
2. Choose Pakistan (+92) as the country. Type your number without the first zero, so 0300 1234567 becomes 300 1234567. If you are not sure of it, check your own mobile number first.
3. An eight character code appears on the computer screen.
4. On your phone, tap the WhatsApp notification about linking a new device. Check the device name and location it shows, then confirm.
5. Type the eight character code into your phone.

This code is only ever typed into your own phone. Nobody genuine will phone or message you to ask for it. If someone asks you to read out a WhatsApp code, they are trying to link your account to their computer.

WhatsApp Web or the Windows app

For Web calls, WhatsApp lists Chrome 100, Edge 100, Firefox 115, Safari 15 and Opera 86 or later. See calling from WhatsApp Web. Some things do not work on any linked device: viewing a live location, creating and viewing broadcast lists, and business WhatsApp Flows. A linked computer also cannot become the main device for your account.

How long a PC stays linked

• You can link up to four devices to one phone at a time.
• Linked devices keep working when your phone is off. But if your phone goes unused for more than 14 days, the linked devices are logged out.
• A linked device that is not used for 30 days is disconnected automatically.

When linking fails: quick fixes

Using WhatsApp on a shared, office or shop computer

A print shop, office or family computer is the risky case, because the session stays open after you walk away.

1. Prefer sending the file another way. To print one document, email it to the shop instead of logging in.
2. If you must log in, use WhatsApp Web, not an app installed on someone else's computer.
3. Log out before you leave. Do not just close the browser tab.
4. Check from your phone. Open Linked devices. If the computer is still there, tap it and tap Log out.
5. Turn on WhatsApp notifications on your phone, so you see an alert when a new device is linked.

Browser add-ons can read what is on a WhatsApp Web page, so see how to protect WhatsApp Web from Chrome extensions. On an office PC, your company's IT staff may also be able to see the screen.

What to do if someone else is using your WhatsApp

1. On your phone, open Linked devices, tap the unknown device, and tap Log out. Our guide to checking linked devices and removing unknown ones shows each screen.
2. Turn on two step verification in WhatsApp's Account settings, with an email address you can reach.
3. Warn your contacts not to send money to anyone using your name.
4. If money was taken or you are being blackmailed, report it as a cybercrime.

Do not use unofficial versions such as GB WhatsApp. WhatsApp says unofficial apps and websites are fake versions made by third parties, and linking your account to one can lead to a temporary or permanent ban. It can also get your account put under review.

Related guides: if your PC is also where you run a business website, check your website for a hidden web shell after the October 2026 PHP flaw. If you upload videos from it, check your YouTube channel against the inauthentic content rule.

Common questions

Can I use WhatsApp on a PC without my phone?

Yes, once it is linked. The PC keeps working when your phone is off, but the phone must not go unused for more than 14 days.

How many computers can I link to one WhatsApp account?

Up to four linked devices at a time.

How do I log out of WhatsApp Web from my phone?

Open WhatsApp on your phone, go to Linked devices, tap the computer and tap Log out.

Why is WhatsApp Web asking me for a passkey?

WhatsApp may require a passkey when you link. Confirm with your fingerprint, face or screen lock. It needs Chrome or Edge 109, Firefox 122 or Safari 16 or newer.

Which Windows version does the WhatsApp app need?

Windows 10 version 1903, 64-bit, or later, from the Microsoft Store. On any other system, use WhatsApp Web.

How we verified this

What we checked and where we read it.

Last checked 8 November 2026. We read these WhatsApp Help Center articles: How to link a device, How to link a device with phone number, About linked devices, About passkey linking on WhatsApp Web, About supported browsers, How to download WhatsApp Desktop and How to unlink a device. The shared computer and +92 advice is our own, written from those rules.