Send a Message Online Free From a Browser or Desktop App
To send a message online free from a computer, use the web or desktop version of a messaging app you already have on your phone: WhatsApp Web, Telegram Web, Messenger in a browser or Signal Desktop. Messages travel over the internet, so there's no per-message charge.
The catch is that the other person needs the same app. Here's what each one asks for and how linking works.
What you need before you start
- An existing account. WhatsApp and Signal are registered on a phone with a phone number, and the computer is linked to that account. Telegram and Messenger let you sign in on a computer more directly.
- Your phone within reach for the first link. Most of these apps ask you to scan a QR code with it.
- The recipient on the same app. A WhatsApp message can't reach someone who only uses Telegram. Because everything runs over the internet, it works the same for contacts abroad; see messaging another country for free.
If you're creating a spare, low-stakes account and don't want to use your own number, the sign-up code can be received on a public number, but anyone can later use that number to take the account over. The risks are explained in using a temp number for WhatsApp.
Which app works where
Each app lets you send a message online free from a computer, but they connect to your account in different ways.
| App | On a computer | How you sign in |
|---|---|---|
| Browser (WhatsApp Web) or desktop app | Scan a QR code from Linked devices in the phone app | |
| Telegram | Browser (Telegram Web) or desktop app | Scan a QR code from the phone app, or enter your number and the login code Telegram sends you |
| Messenger | Web browser | The account you use for Messenger, usually your Facebook login |
| Signal | Desktop app only, no browser version | Scan a QR code from Linked devices in the phone app |
Linking WhatsApp Web step by step
- On your computer, open WhatsApp Web in a browser. A QR code appears.
- On your phone, open WhatsApp and go to Linked devices, found in Settings on iPhone or in the three-dot menu on Android.
- Tap Link a device and point the camera at the QR code. Some versions offer to link with your phone number instead.
- Your chats load on the computer. Open one or start a new chat, type, and press Enter to send.
Once linked, the computer keeps working while your phone is offline for a while, but linked devices can be signed out if the phone isn't used for an extended period.
Telegram, Messenger and Signal on a computer
Telegram keeps your chats in its cloud, so Telegram Web shows your history right after you log in, and your phone doesn't need to stay online. Secret chats are the exception: they stay on the device where they started and won't appear in the browser.
Messenger works in a browser once you sign in. Meta has changed its desktop apps and web access over time, so use whichever web option it currently points you to.
Signal has no browser version. Install Signal Desktop for Windows, macOS or Linux, then scan its QR code from Linked devices in the Signal app on your phone. Older messages may not show up on the computer unless the app offers to transfer them during linking.
The same apps also handle group chats; see free group messaging for families and teams.
Stay in control of linked computers
- On a shared or public computer, log out when you finish. In WhatsApp and Signal you can also remove the computer under Linked devices on your phone; in Telegram, end the session under Devices in Settings.
- Look at your list of linked devices now and then, and remove anything you don't recognize.
- Never scan a QR code that someone else sends or shows you, even if they say it's for a prize or to verify your account. Scanning it can link your account to their computer and let them read and send your messages.
- Turn on the app's extra login protection, such as a two-step verification PIN in WhatsApp or a cloud password in Telegram.
Need to receive a code? Free numbers
Click a number to open its public inbox, enter the number on the signup form, then press Update Messages on the number's page to fetch the code.
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