From another thread I saw that I go to the WhatsApp for Windows page.
https://www.whatsapp.com/download

I then click on the black button saying "Get it from Microsoft".
https://get.microsoft.com/installer/download/9NKSQGP7F2NH?ocid=sideload_experiment_test
Name: WhatsApp Installer.exe
Size: 573320 bytes (559 KiB)
SHA256: FB804BB2DB6B51F6D05319355B36D99FD1FBD7806D085DBC22377BFEAB8C51F0

When I run that executable it opens up the Microsoft Store and says
"Starting download..." even though I have no Microsoft Account set up.

After a minute or two, up popped Version 2.2303.10.0 with a
"Welcome to WhatsApp" screen which says to set up WhatsApp on my
computer I need to do the following things in sequence.
1. Open WhatsApp on your phone
2. Tap Menu or Settings and selected Linked devices
3. Tap Link a Device & point your phone to this screen to capture the code
Or link with phone number
Enter phone number
4. That results in a 8-character code like "1A2B-3C4D" where it says.
Enter code on phone
Linking WhatsApp account +1 (201)555-1212
a. Open WhatsApp on your phone
b. Tap menu or Settings and select Linked devices
c. Tap on Link with phone number & point your phone to this
screen to capture the code
d. Enter this 8-character code.
5. But then it says "Something is wrong".
6. So I installed WhatsApp on Android (& set it up with SMS verification).
8. Then I tried again and then step 4 above worked on the PC
(they sent me a new 8-character code).
9. From Windows, I sent a text to someone in my contacts
as it seems to know everyone that I know who has WhatsApp I think.
10. But on the Windows PC it won't talk to anyone or dial a number
that is not in my contacts.
11. There's no dial keypad (is there?).
12. There's no microphone on my desktop PC (but that can be fixed).

There's are direct dialers for WhatsApp on Android.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.trianguloy.openInWhatsapp

How do you get a direct dial WhatsApp keypad on the PC?

Charlie <charlie@nospam.com> wrote:
> How do you get a direct dial WhatsApp keypad on the PC?

https://wa.me/+12015551212

opens that number in WhatsApp.

Theo

In comp.mobile.android, on 11 Feb 2024 22:22:55 +0000 (GMT), Theo
<theom+news@chiark.greenend.org.uk> wrote:

>Charlie <charlie@nospam.com> wrote:
>> How do you get a direct dial WhatsApp keypad on the PC?
>
>https://wa.me/+12015551212
>
>opens that number in WhatsApp.

I'm sure it does most of the time, but I had the whatsapp program open
already and it in the browswerthe link above dialed the same number I
had just recently looked at in the program. So that's a possible
glitch. (I hope he doesn't call me back during the superbowl.)
>
>Theo

On this 11 Feb 2024 22:22:55 +0000 (GMT), Theo wrote:

> https://wa.me/+12015551212
>
> opens that number in WhatsApp.

When I modify that with a real number that I know has WhatsApp on her phone
but who isn't in my contacts, in the WhatsApp Windows app, there's nowhere
to put that number.

All it says if you paste it into the "New chat" field is "Not in your
contacts +1 (202) 555-1212"

When I paste that link into a web browser on the PC, it says at the top
"Open WhatsApp?" below that it says in the web browser popup form
"https://api.whatsapp.com wants to open this application".

Interestingly that does open up a chat inside of the PC WhatsApp that I
just installed but it still doesn't let me dial that number (AFAICT).

I scrounged around for a wired USB logitech headset with microphone and
plugged that in and hit the "voice call" telephone icon for that number.

It asked "Allow WhatsApp to access your microphone" and I clicked on the
green "Go to Settings" box it provided which took me to Windows 10
microphone settings and turned "Allow apps to use this microphone" and then
it asked to use What'sApp to do it.

That link seems to work on a contact that I knew would be up late, but I'll
try it in the morning for the contact that I'm sure has long gone to bed.

Still, it would be better to have a telephone dialpad like Android has.
Thanks.

On 2/11/2024 5:13 PM, Charlie wrote:

> From another thread I saw that I go to the WhatsApp for Windows page.
> https://www.whatsapp.com/download
>
> I then click on the black button saying "Get it from Microsoft".
> https://get.microsoft.com/installer/download/9NKSQGP7F2NH?ocid=sideload_experiment_test
> Name: WhatsApp Installer.exe
> Size: 573320 bytes (559 KiB)
> SHA256: FB804BB2DB6B51F6D05319355B36D99FD1FBD7806D085DBC22377BFEAB8C51F0
>
> When I run that executable it opens up the Microsoft Store and says
> "Starting download..." even though I have no Microsoft Account set up.

When I installed that, I couldn't find where it went on Windows.
There's no desktop icon. There's only a start menu item.
But I never use the default start menu so I tried to find it.
You can't rightclick and find the shortcut target to check the path.

So while it was running I went to the task manager.
"C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\5319275A.WhatsAppDesktop_2.2403.10.0_x64__manycharacters\WhatsApp.exe" -ServerName:App.Ap-Manymorecharacters.mca

But how do I put that as a shortcut into my taskbar menu?

> "C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\5319275A.WhatsAppDesktop_2.2403.10.0_x64__manycharacters\WhatsApp.exe" -ServerName:App.Ap-Manymorecharacters.mca
>
> But how do I put that as a shortcut into my taskbar menu?

I'd try making a desktop shortcut containing all of that, then testing
it. If it works, drag the shortcut to wherever you want it.

Peter

In comp.mobile.android, on Sun, 11 Feb 2024 23:39:33 -0500, Larry Wolff
<larrywolff@larrywolff.net> wrote:

>On 2/11/2024 5:13 PM, Charlie wrote:
>
>> From another thread I saw that I go to the WhatsApp for Windows page.
>> https://www.whatsapp.com/download
>>
>> I then click on the black button saying "Get it from Microsoft".
>> https://get.microsoft.com/installer/download/9NKSQGP7F2NH?ocid=sideload_experiment_test
>> Name: WhatsApp Installer.exe
>> Size: 573320 bytes (559 KiB)
>> SHA256: FB804BB2DB6B51F6D05319355B36D99FD1FBD7806D085DBC22377BFEAB8C51F0
>>
>> When I run that executable it opens up the Microsoft Store and says
>> "Starting download..." even though I have no Microsoft Account set up.

At first I thought this was a question or a complaint, but I think
you're saying, Good!.
>
>When I installed that, I couldn't find where it went on Windows.
>There's no desktop icon. There's only a start menu item.

I don't remember if that was the case for me or not.

>But I never use the default start menu so I tried to find it.
>You can't rightclick and find the shortcut target to check the path.
>
>So while it was running I went to the task manager.
>"C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\5319275A.WhatsAppDesktop_2.2403.10.0_x64__manycharacters\WhatsApp.exe" -ServerName:App.Ap-Manymorecharacters.mca

I'm not sure what that is. I had to give myself permission to look at
WindowsApps and after I did that, it stil denied me permission! Twice.

Then I saw where I had to click on Security Tab to give myself Read
Permission, but I didn't see in that box what to do. So I gave up. See
what follows below.

>But how do I put that as a shortcut into my taskbar menu?

Exactly what Pete said. I've done that a dozen times over the years. In
a file manager, find the directory that holds whatsapp. I thought it
would be "program Files" but it's not. I thought it might be where you
said it is, but you can see that I had trouble getting there. Did you
have the kind of trouble I had?

Before I tell you where it will be, let me tell you how easy it is to
find it: Run (Search) Everything. In the search line put
whatsapp exe . They don't have to be connected. Everything
doesn't care. It will find files with those two strings in them. Or any
number of strings.

And it's in Users\[username]\appdata\Local\whatsapp even though an
executable is not data.

It will be the one with the correct icon in the left-most field, the
icon that looks like whatsapp. Right click and use Send To / Desktop.
Not Create Icon which will create it in that same directory.

I alsways make two copies of such an icon so when I drag one to the
Taskbar, I still have one on the desktop.

In alt.comp.os.windows-10, on Sun, 11 Feb 2024 21:31:30 -0700, Charlie
<charlie@nospam.com> wrote:

>On this 11 Feb 2024 22:22:55 +0000 (GMT), Theo wrote:
>
>> https://wa.me/+12015551212
>>
>> opens that number in WhatsApp.
>
>When I modify that with a real number that I know has WhatsApp on her phone
>but who isn't in my contacts, in the WhatsApp Windows app, there's nowhere
>to put that number.
>
>All it says if you paste it into the "New chat" field is "Not in your
>contacts +1 (202) 555-1212"

Apparently you can't call someone with whatsapp unless you've already
put a name and the number into your contacts list, is that true?

It seems like an unnecessary restriction, and a big nuisance, maybe left
over from the early use of the program.
>
>When I paste that link into a web browser on the PC, it says at the top
>"Open WhatsApp?" below that it says in the web browser popup form
>"https://api.whatsapp.com wants to open this application".

I think it's nice that files have wants and needs. Perhaps some
counseler or therapist could help it deal with its unfulfilled desire.
>
>Interestingly that does open up a chat inside of the PC WhatsApp that I
>just installed but it still doesn't let me dial that number (AFAICT).
>
>I scrounged around for a wired USB logitech headset with microphone and
>plugged that in and hit the "voice call" telephone icon for that number.
>
>It asked "Allow WhatsApp to access your microphone" and I clicked on the
>green "Go to Settings" box it provided which took me to Windows 10
>microphone settings and turned "Allow apps to use this microphone" and then
>it asked to use What'sApp to do it.
>
>That link seems to work on a contact that I knew would be up late, but I'll
>try it in the morning for the contact that I'm sure has long gone to bed.
>
>Still, it would be better to have a telephone dialpad like Android has.
>Thanks.

Did I mention that on the PC it seems one cannot find out the phone
number behind a contact list entry that has a name attached, but one can
on Android? this seems like a less-important, less-developed second
thought for the whatsapp people, but I still really like it.

micky <NONONOmisc07@fmguy.com> wrote:
[...]

> Did I mention that on the PC it seems one cannot find out the phone
> number behind a contact list entry that has a name attached, but one can
> on Android? this seems like a less-important, less-developed second
> thought for the whatsapp people, but I still really like it.

It's not very obvious, but you can do it in the Windows app as well:

Click on the contact in the left-hand pane. The right-hand pane now
shows the recent messages from/to that contact. Above that pane you see
the picture (if any) and the name of the contact. Now click on *that*
and it will show you the details of the contact, including the 'Phone
number'.

In comp.mobile.android, on 12 Feb 2024 18:15:28 GMT, Frank Slootweg
<this@ddress.is.invalid> wrote:

>micky <NONONOmisc07@fmguy.com> wrote:
>[...]
>
>> Did I mention that on the PC it seems one cannot find out the phone
>> number behind a contact list entry that has a name attached, but one can
>> on Android? this seems like a less-important, less-developed second
>> thought for the whatsapp people, but I still really like it.
>
> It's not very obvious, but you can do it in the Windows app as well:
>
> Click on the contact in the left-hand pane. The right-hand pane now
>shows the recent messages from/to that contact. Above that pane you see
>the picture (if any) and the name of the contact. Now click on *that*
>and it will show you the details of the contact, including the 'Phone
>number'.

That worked! Good. I was surprised that they would leave out a feature.
I had run my cursor over that area, and the cursor didn't change from an
arrow to a hand or anything, so I had not clicked before, but coding
cursor change is a small but separate task when writing these screens.

On this Mon, 12 Feb 2024 11:18:09 -0500, micky wrote:

> Apparently you can't call someone with whatsapp unless you've already
> put a name and the number into your contacts list, is that true?

For Android, you have to use a separate WhatsApp direct dialer.
Unfortunately, I don't know of a whatsapp direct dialer for Windows.

For the Windows WhatsApp, the only way I know of to directly dial someone
is to use a web browser as Theo suggested.

> It seems like an unnecessary restriction, and a big nuisance, maybe left
> over from the early use of the program.

It's very strange that you must use a web browser to tell the Windows
WhatsApp app to dial a number. But it works.

It's not as nice as a direct dialer would be, though.

>>Still, it would be better to have a telephone dialpad like Android has.
>>Thanks.
>
> Did I mention that on the PC it seems one cannot find out the phone
> number behind a contact list entry that has a name attached, but one can
> on Android? this seems like a less-important, less-developed second
> thought for the whatsapp people, but I still really like it.

Frank explained the phone number stuff to you where I'll just explain to
everyone what happened today when I tested Theo's suggestion to use a web
browser to tell the Windows WhatsApp app call a specific number that you
know is not in your contacts but who you know has a WhatsApp account.

1. After installing the Windows WhatsApp, open any web browser
(The Windows WhatsApp app doesn't need to be running.)
2. Construct a URL based on the phone number
https://wa.me/+12015551212
3. Enter that URL into the web browser
4. The web browser will change that URL to something like this.
https://api.whatsapp.com/send/?phone=%2B12015551212&text&type=phone_number&app_absent=0
5. A web browser popup will occur asking:
"Allow this site to open the whatsapp link with WhatsApp?"
6. When you press "Open Link" it will start the Windows WhatsApp
app and it will dial that number in the Windows WhatsApp app.

I tried it today and it worked fine for a person on WhatsApp who
was not in my contacts.

Is there anyone who knows how Windows works that can explain how
that "api.whatsapp.com" URI worked inside of Windows to do it?

In comp.mobile.android, on Mon, 12 Feb 2024 16:31:32 +1100, Pete
<pjetson@yahoo.com> wrote:

>> "C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\5319275A.WhatsAppDesktop_2.2403.10.0_x64__manycharacters\WhatsApp.exe" -ServerName:App.Ap-Manymorecharacters.mca
>>
>> But how do I put that as a shortcut into my taskbar menu?
>
>I'd try making a desktop shortcut containing all of that, then testing
>it. If it works, drag the shortcut to wherever you want it.

Yes, exactly. I've done that a dozen times over the years. In a file
manager, find the directory that holds whatsapp. I thought it would be
"program Files" but it's not.

Before I tell you where it will be, let me tell you how easy it is to
find it: Run (Search) Everything. In the search line put
whatsapp exe . They don't have to be connected. Everything
doesn't care. It will find files with those two strings in them.

and it's in Users\[username]\appdata\Local\whatsapp even though an
executable is not data.

It will be the one with the right icon in the left-most field, the icon
that looks like whatsapp. Right click and use Send To / Desktop. Not
Create Icon which will create it in that same directory.

I alsways make two copies of such an icon so when I drag one to the
Taskbar, I still have one on the desktop.

>Peter
>

In comp.mobile.android, on Sun, 11 Feb 2024 15:13:39 -0700, Charlie
<charlie@nospam.com> wrote:

>From another thread I saw that I go to the WhatsApp for Windows page.
>https://www.whatsapp.com/download

This was the first step in installing whatsapp as a program on the PC.
From there I followed it's directions. I'm not so sure that the parts I
snpped worked.

>There's are direct dialers for WhatsApp on Android.
>https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.trianguloy.openInWhatsapp

I don't see why you need this. Doesn't the android app for whatsapp
include a dialer? Or are you saying you don't need to install a number
in the contact list? That would be good. OH YES, THAT's what the almost
hidden description of the app says it does. Thank you.

There are lots of places, like businesses, that you will only want to
call once, and it would just be confusing to have all their names and
numbers in your address book.
>
>How do you get a direct dial WhatsApp keypad on the PC?

I don't know. But Theo seems to have answered correctly. And iiuc his
method doesn't even require installing whatspp on the pc. It just uses a
webpage.

But I wanted to say somethimg else, that I have borrowed another cell
phone and I called myself on whatsapp and, at the same time, both my
phone and my PC program rang. This means if the computer is upstairs
with whatsapp running and I'm downstairs or outside or even shopping
miles away with the phone, the phone will still ring even if I left
whatsapp running on the computer (where you might not hear it ringing).

micky <NONONOmisc07@fmguy.com> wrote:
> In comp.mobile.android, on Sun, 11 Feb 2024 15:13:39 -0700, Charlie
> <charlie@nospam.com> wrote:
[...]
> >There's are direct dialers for WhatsApp on Android.
> >https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.trianguloy.openInWhatsapp
>
> I don't see why you need this. Doesn't the android app for whatsapp
> include a dialer? Or are you saying you don't need to install a number
> in the contact list? That would be good. OH YES, THAT's what the almost
> hidden description of the app says it does. Thank you.
>
> There are lots of places, like businesses, that you will only want to
> call once, and it would just be confusing to have all their names and
> numbers in your address book.

AFAICT, this app will only open a (WhatsApp) *chat*, hence the name
"Click to chat".

Unless it says otherwise, the chat is *text*, not voice, i.e. not a
'call' [1].

And even if it is voice, it's a voice call to another *WhatsApp* user,
*not* a normal 'telephone' call to a landline or mobile phone.

I doubt that many businesses will offer/accept WhatsApp voice calls

If they offer WhatsApp as a means of communication, it's probably only
for 'chat', i.e. text messages, not voice calls.

So I doubt that you would have a use for such an app.

Bottom line: A big difference between a normal telephone call and a
WhatsApp-to-WhatsApp voice call. So when you say 'call', make clear what
kind of call you mean.

[...]

[1] Yes, one of the buttons on the menus in the screenshots says 'Call',
but another button says 'SMS'. Unless something changed, WhatsApp can
not send a SMS message, so the SMS is probably handled by the phone
(i.e. SIM part) itself, not WhatsApp. And probably 'Call' is also
handled by the phone, i.e. a normal 'telephone' call, not a
WhatsApp-to-WhatsApp voice call.