WhatsApp’s transition from mobile to desktop has not been smooth. The service requires a constant and active internet connection from your existing phone and is slow compared to competitors like Telegram. Sometimes, WhatsApp may not open on desktop PC and Mac. If you are experiencing the same thing on Mac, read on to learn how to fix WhatsApp not starting on Mac.
1. Restart the Mac
Most users, even some GT team members, have difficulty shutting down their Macs. We use the Sleep function to wake up the Mac instantly. That said, you have to shut down and restart the Mac frequently to cool things down.
You can click on the little Apple icon in the menu bar and select Restart. Restart your Mac, enter your password and try to open WhatsApp again.
2. Close WhatsApp Completely
Does WhatsApp keep running in the background on startup? That way, you may have trouble launching the app on Mac. You need to close WhatsApp completely using Activity Monitor on Mac. Here’s how.
Stage 1: Press Command + space and open Spotlight Search.
Step 2: Type Activity Monitor and open the app.
Stage 3: Find WhatsApp from the list and click it.
Step 4: Click the x at the top and close the app completely.
Close Activity Monitor and try to access WhatsApp on Mac.
3. Make Sure Your Cell Phone And WhatsApp Are On The Same Wi-Fi
Unlike Telegram, WhatsApp does not offer a true cloud backup. The phone must be running with an active internet connection with the same Wi-Fi network as your Mac.
If your phone is connected to another Wi-Fi network, you will still get connection errors after opening the app.
Make sure the connected phone has a working internet connection and then try using WhatsApp on Mac. On the first try, it will ask you to scan the QR code for a successful connection.
4. Check the RAM
This method is for those who are trying to start WhatsApp on Mac devices with 8GB of RAM. With Google Chrome, Slack, and a few other apps running in the background, running out of virtual memory on a Mac is pretty easy.
WhatsApp will take more time to launch and in some cases won’t even open on Mac. You can use the third party app called ClearMyMac and check the available memory from the Menu bar.
It also shows other details like Mac temperature, CPU usage, network speeds and more. If you’re dealing with double-digit free RAM, you need to close other apps and services running in the background. You can turn them off manually or get help from Activity Monitor.
Close other apps, free up RAM and open WhatsApp on Mac.
5. Update WhatsApp
WhatsApp can be easily downloaded from the App Store. If you downloaded the app from the App Store, you can easily update it to the latest version.
On Mac, open the App Store and go to the Updates menu. Update WhatsApp to the latest version from the menu below.
6. Enable Multi-Device Beta
WhatsApp is testing multi-device support for the service. With it, you can enjoy WhatsApp on up to 4 devices without keeping your phone online.
It comes with some limitations, but the overall pros completely outweigh the cons. If you are eligible for the WhatsApp multi-device beta, it will appear in the WhatsApp Android/iPhone app. Here’s how to enable it.
Stage 1: Open WhatsApp on iPhone or Android.
Step 2: Go to the settings menu.
Stage 3: Select Multi-Device Beta.
Step 4: Join the program.
Open WhatsApp on Mac, scan the QR code again, and your phone no longer needs to be always connected to the Mac. That way, you’ll likely encounter fewer errors when opening the app on Mac in the future.
7. Try WhatsApp Web
Even after following all the steps above, you are still facing WhatsApp not launching on Mac; You need to access WhatsApp from the web.
Visit WhatsApp on the web and scan the QR code to install WhatsApp in your preferred browser.
Get Started with WhatsApp on Mac
If you use WhatsApp on a daily basis, there is no real alternative for you. You can’t expect your friends and family to switch from WhatsApp to Telegram or Signal because you’re having trouble opening the app on a Mac. The above steps should help you fix the problem.
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