macOS
Homebrew Caskverified · 100%
brew install --cask whatsapplocal Homebrew cask metadata
cask
Install whatsapp with Homebrew Cask
Native desktop client for WhatsApp. Version 26.42.19 via Homebrew Cask; verified from local package data.
install
Additional install commands
overview
Package summary
Native desktop client for WhatsApp
Project links
Commands and aliases
No executable aliases were found in the local package database.
history
Project history and usage
WhatsApp for Mac is the native desktop client for WhatsApp's private messaging and calling service. It links with a WhatsApp account and synchronizes chats across devices.
Project history
WhatsApp began as a mobile messaging service and later added web and desktop access linked to a user's primary account. In March 2023 Meta announced a faster redesigned Windows desktop application and an early beta of the corresponding native Mac experience.
On August 29, 2023, Meta announced the redesigned WhatsApp application for Mac, adding native group calling for up to eight video participants and 32 audio participants while retaining end-to-end encryption for personal messages and calls.
Adoption history
WhatsApp extended its mobile messaging service to linked computers and subsequently improved its multi-device synchronization. Meta described WhatsApp in 2023 as the largest platform offering end-to-end encrypted, cross-platform communication across phones, computers, and tablets.
The native Mac application brought the redesigned desktop experience to macOS, including group calling, drag-and-drop file sharing, expanded chat-history viewing, and call notifications. Homebrew Cask provides a package-manager installation route for that official desktop client.
How it is used
Users link the Mac application to an existing WhatsApp account to exchange messages and media and make encrypted audio or video calls. The desktop interface supports file drag-and-drop, synchronized chat history, and incoming call notifications.
Why package nerds care
The WhatsApp cask packages a mainstream, automatically updated proprietary communication client rather than a traditional Unix tool. It illustrates Homebrew Cask's role in making widely used signed macOS applications reproducibly discoverable and installable alongside open-source command-line packages.
Timeline
- 2023-03-22: Meta announced that a new native WhatsApp experience for Mac was in beta.
- 2023-08-29: Meta announced the redesigned WhatsApp application for Mac with group calling.
Related projects
- Related official products include WhatsApp for iPhone and Android, WhatsApp Web, WhatsApp Business, and Meta's multi-device infrastructure.
Sources
security posture
No protected-tool coverage found yet
No matching local secret-handling manifest was found for whatsapp. Package metadata is still published here so future coverage has a stable package URL.
Install behavior
- No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
- No Homebrew bottle metadata was recorded.
Recommended review
Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| No executable data was present. | |||
freshness
Version and freshness
These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.
page generated2026-10-23
manager version26.42.19
manager updated
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected
- infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence
- infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.https://www.whatsapp.com/none confidence
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | cask:whatsapp |
|---|---|
| Version | 26.42.19 |
| Package manager | Homebrew Cask |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/cask/whatsapp |
| Homepage | https://www.whatsapp.com/ |
| Upstream docs | https://www.whatsapp.com/ |
| Source archive | https://web.whatsapp.com/desktop/mac_native/release/?version=2.26.42.19&extension=zip&configuration=Release&branch=master&is_buck=true |
| SHA-256 | 0e628211320fcb49fc62afd78708603cdd2f3c34f062ef229f7ef01ba50358f6 |
| Bottle | not recorded |
| Homebrew post-install | not defined |
| Service | none declared |
registry facts
Source database details
| Source Database | Homebrew cask API |
|---|---|
| Tap | homebrew/cask |
| Full Token | |
| Names | |
| Depends On | |
| Conflicts With | |
| Artifacts | |
| Auto Updates | yes |
| Deprecated | no |
| Disabled | no |
source trail
Generated from repository data
This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.
Combined YAML source
View the package source record on GitHub.
Used sources
- cross-ecosystem install command graph
- curated package history
- package relationship graph
- package version freshness
- package-page enrichment