ElecWhat is a desktop application for accessing WhatsApp Web on Linux. It provides a dedicated window for messaging, together with system tray integration, notifications and controls for adapting the application to different desktop workflows.
The program is based on Electron and focuses on providing a relatively straightforward wrapper around WhatsApp Web. Unlike a normal browser tab, it can display an unread-message count in the system tray, remember window placement and respond to commands from other applications.
ElecWhat offers several customisation facilities. Users can define keyboard shortcuts, change the appearance of the embedded interface using CSS and extend behaviour through custom scripts. A D-Bus interface and command-line controls make it possible to show, hide or toggle the application window from a desktop shortcut or external utility.
These integration features are particularly useful for users who want WhatsApp to behave like a conventional desktop messaging application.
This is free and open source software.
Key Features
- WhatsApp Web displayed in a dedicated Electron application.
- Desktop notifications for incoming messages.
- System tray icon with unread-message count and custom icon support.
- Configurable keyboard shortcuts.
- Custom CSS for changing the appearance of WhatsApp Web.
- Custom user scripts for extending application behaviour.
- Spell checking when composing messages.
- Command-line and D-Bus interfaces for showing, hiding and toggling the window.
- Unread-message badges for supported desktop docks and taskbars.
- Remembers the application window’s position.
- Configurable startup and window-closing behaviour.
- Options for custom tray icons and notification preferences.
- Voice and video calling through supported WhatsApp Web functionality.
Website: github.com/piec/elecwhat
Support:
Developer: Pierre Carru
License: GNU General Public License v3.0
ElecWhat is written in JavaScript. Learn JavaScript with our recommended free books and free tutorials.
Related Software
| WhatsApp Clients | |
|---|---|
| Franz | Messaging app for WhatsApp, Slack, and others |
| WhatSie | Feature rich WhatsApp web client based on Qt WebEngine |
| nchat | Terminal-based chat client |
| ZapZap | Progressive Web Application |
| Karere | Native GTK4 application |
| Youp | WhatsApp wrapper |
| Whatsit | Native desktop client for WhatsAp |
| WasIstLos | Unofficial WhatsApp desktop application written in C++ |
| ElecWhat | Simple desktop WhatsApp client |
| Whatevr | Uses whatsmeow to access the WhatsApp web multidevice API |
| WhatsApp Desktop | Wraps the official WhatsApp Web interface |
Read our verdict in the software roundup.
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