How to Access Someone Else's WhatsApp Account

This wikiHow teaches you how to open and view someone else's WhatsApp account on a computer. Monitoring an individual’s conversations without permission is a violation of privacy, so before you take any steps towards accessing their WhatsApp account, make sure you have the individual's permission to do so.

10-Second Summary

1. Open WhatsApp on a friend's phone.
2. Tap Settings or ⋮.
3. Tap WhatsApp Web/Desktop or WhatsApp Web.
4. Open the WhatsApp Web website on your computer.
5. Point the phone's camera at your computer to scan the QR code.

Steps

1. 
   1
   Open WhatsApp on your friend's phone. It's a green app with a white phone icon on it.

   • If your friend hasn't set up WhatsApp yet, have them do so before continuing.
2. 
   2
   Tap Settings (iPhone) or ⋮ (Android). The iPhone's Settings option is in the bottom-right corner of the screen, while ⋮ on Android is in the top-right corner of the screen.

   • If WhatsApp opens to a chat, first tap the "Back" button in the top-left corner of the screen.
3. 
   3
   Tap WhatsApp Web/Desktop. It's near the top of the page (iPhone) or near the top of the drop-down menu (Android). On Android, you'll tap WhatsApp Web.
4. 
   4
   Open the WhatsApp Web website on your computer. You'll see a black-and-white box near the center of the page; this is a QR code, which you'll scan using your phone's camera.
5. 
   5
   Point your friend's phone's camera at the QR code. The phone's screen should be facing you, while the camera should be facing the QR code on your computer.

   • If you've previously scanned a QR code with WhatsApp, you will need to first tap Scan QR Code near the bottom of the screen to invoke the camera.
6. 
   6
   Wait for the code to scan. If the camera doesn't acknowledge the QR code right away, try moving your friend's phone closer to the screen. Once the QR code is scanned, the WhatsApp Web application will open; this is a program that allows you to view your friend's WhatsApp messages on your computer.

   • WhatsApp messages viewed in the Web app will update as your friend sends and receives new messages.