Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) is making its popular WhatsApp messaging service available for Mac devices running on Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) OS X and Windows from Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT).

The company launched the app for OS X, Windows 8, 8.1 and Windows 10. The goal was to make the messaging service available on every major operating system. The performance of WhatsApp on Mac and Windows PCs is a lot like that of the smartphones. It allows the users to send audio files, messages, videos, photos and messages to people in their contact list. The app was widely adopted in smartphones due to its reach chat capacity and live notifications.

Extending beyond mobile

The release of WhatsApp for PC and Mac comes only one and a half years after the company’s launch of WhatsApp for the web which was an extension of the app from the handset. However, there is not much difference between web WhatsApp and the new Apps for Mac and Windows. This is because they work in a similar manner where the apps mimic the smartphone app. This means that for it to work, it is necessary for the user’s smartphone to be nearby.

Logging into the app is also similar to web WhatsApp because it also requires the user to scan a QR code using the handset. Anyone who has used the web version has a good idea of how this works. WhatsApp has more than 1 billion users all around the world. The huge level of success is what attracted Facebook to purchase the service a few years ago.

The advantages of using the PC and Mac versions will be similar to those of the web version. This means users can leverage all the shortcuts provided by the desktop keyboard. It also responds quickly, thus offering the same level of convenience derived from the mobile app. The huge success that WhatsApp enjoys places it in the big leagues right next to giants like Skype from Microsoft and Apple’s iOS.