WhatsApp's transition from mobile to desktop wasn't without problems. The service requires a constant, active internet connection from your current phone and feels slow compared to competitors like Telegram. At times, WhatsApp desktop fails to open on PC And a Mac. If you're experiencing the same issue on your Mac, read on to learn how to fix WhatsApp not working on your Mac.
1. Restart your MAC
Many users, even some members of the GT team, hardly ever shut down their Macs. We use the Sleep feature to wake the Mac immediately. However, you should shut down and restart your Mac frequently to cool things down.
You can click the small Apple icon in the menu bar and select Restart. Restart your Mac, enter your password, and try opening WhatsApp again.
2. Close WhatsApp completely
Is WhatsApp still running in the background when you start it? This might be a problem with the app running on your Mac. You need to completely close WhatsApp using Activity Monitor on your Mac. Here's how.
Step 1: Press command + space and open Spotlight Search.
Step 2: Type Activity Monitor and open the app.
Step 3: Find WhatsApp from the list and tap on it.
Step 4: Click the x at the top and close the app completely.
Close Activity Monitor and try accessing WhatsApp again on your Mac.
3. Make sure your mobile phone and WhatsApp are connected to the same WI-FI network.
Unlike Telegram, WhatsApp doesn't offer real cloud backup. You'll need to have an active internet connection on your phone, not the same Wi-Fi network as your Mac.
If your phone is connected to another Wi-Fi network, you will continue to receive connection errors when you open the app.
Make sure the connected phone has an active internet connection, then try using WhatsApp on your Mac. On the first try, you'll be prompted to scan a QR code to make a successful connection.
4. Check RAM
This method applies to those trying to launch WhatsApp on Macs with 8GB of RAM. With Google Chrome, Slack, and a couple of other apps running in the background, it's very easy to run out of virtual memory on your Mac.
In this case, WhatsApp will take longer to launch, and in some cases, it won't even open on your Mac. You can use a third-party app called ClearMyMac and check your available memory from the menu bar.
It also displays other details like your Mac's temperature, CPU usage, network speeds, and more. If you're dealing with double-digit free RAM, you need to close other apps and services running in the background. You can close them manually or get help from Activity Monitor.
Close other apps, free up RAM, and open WhatsApp on Mac.
5. Update WhatsApp
WhatsApp is readily available for download from the App Store. If you downloaded the app from the App Store, you can easily update it to the latest version.
Open the App Store on your Mac and go to the Updates menu. Update WhatsApp to the latest version from the list below.
6. Enable multi-device beta
WhatsApp is testing Multi-device support for the serviceWith this, you can enjoy WhatsApp on up to 4 devices without keeping your phone connected to the internet.
It comes with some limitations, but the overall pros far outweigh the cons. If you're eligible for the WhatsApp Multi-Device beta, it will appear in the WhatsApp Android/iPhone app. Here's how to enable it.
Step 1: Open the WhatsApp app on your iPhone or Android.
Step 2: Go to the settings menu.
Step 3: Select Multi-Device Beta.
Step 4: Join the program.
Open WhatsApp on your Mac, scan the QR code again, and now you won't need to connect your phone to your Mac all the time. This way, you're less likely to encounter failures when opening the app on your Mac in the future.
7. Try WhatsApp Web
Even after following all the steps above, you still encounter WhatsApp not working on your Mac; you need to access WhatsApp from the web.
Visit WhatsApp on the web, scan the QR code to set up WhatsApp in your favorite browser.
Start using WhatsApp on MAC
If you use WhatsApp daily, there is no real alternative. You can't expect your friends and family to switch from WhatsApp to Telegram or Signal Just because you're having trouble opening the app on your Mac, the steps above should help you troubleshoot and fix the issue.
