whatRust.
WhatsApp on your desktop, without the bloat — Rust + Tauri v2
whatRust is a free, open-source WhatsApp Web desktop app for Linux, Windows and macOS that I designed and built in Rust with Tauri v2. Instead of bundling its own browser like Electron apps, it runs the official web.whatsapp.com in the web view your system already has, and adds what a browser tab cannot: several accounts side by side, a privacy blur, a password or fingerprint lock, a tray icon with unread counts, and updates that install only after their SHA-256 checksum matches.
Watch it in action
What it does
Multiple accounts
Run several WhatsApp numbers at once. Each account opens in its own window with a fully isolated login, unread badge and notifications.
Privacy blur
Blur names, messages, previews, photos and the text box. Ctrl+Shift+P picks what gets blurred; a global shortcut turns it on or off.
App lock
A password (Argon2id) on every platform, or Windows Hello, Touch ID or the Linux fingerprint dialog. Lock on launch, on demand, when hidden or after idle.
Verified auto-updates
Checks GitHub a minute after start and every 6 hours, then installs only after the download matches the release SHA256SUMS. You can turn it off.
Native desktop
System tray with close-to-tray and an unread badge, native notifications, launch at startup, a global show/hide shortcut and whatsapp:// links.
Make it yours
Interface size, a custom download folder, your own app icon, a SOCKS5 or HTTP proxy, and a title bar that hides itself on tiling window managers.
Files and media
Drag and drop photos, videos and documents onto a chat, voice messages everywhere, and a download toast with Open and Show in folder.
Persistent login
Scan the QR code once and stay signed in across restarts. Relaunching focuses the running window instead of opening a second copy.
No middleman
It loads the official web.whatsapp.com in your system web view. No servers of its own, no message-handling layer, and the code is open to audit.
Screenshots
Latest updates
Every release, straight from GitHub. whatRust installs new versions by itself (or offers them in Settings → Updates) after checking the SHA-256 checksum.
- v0.6.1512 Nov 2026
The privacy blur panel opens on Windows, the blur covers more, and Settings got a polish.
- v0.6.1410 Nov 2026
Linux: attaching a video works again, and no longer eats all your memory.
- v0.6.139 Nov 2026
Linux: smooth scrolling on laptops with two graphics cards.
- v0.6.129 Nov 2026
A fix release for 0.6.11: arrow keys on macOS, profile pictures on Windows notifications, and the download popup. On Linux, whatRust also fits in with tiling window managers like Hyprland.
- Fixed · macOS: arrow keys no longer type symbols into the chat
- Fixed · Windows: notifications show the sender's picture again
- Fixed · Download popup
- Fixed · Settings
- New · Linux: no title bar on tiling window managers
- v0.6.117 Nov 2026
whatRust now updates itself, drag-and-drop works again on Linux, and there's a privacy blur, a proxy setting, zoom shortcuts, your own download folder and app icon, an optional single window for all accounts on Linux and macOS, and the unread count on the Linux dock.
- Fixed · Linux: drag-and-drop works again
- Fixed · Thin scrollbars
- Fixed · Settings icon
- New · Privacy blur
- New · Hide the Dock icon (macOS)
- New · Zoom shortcuts
How it is built
One Rust codebase for three systems. Tauri v2 hosts WhatsApp Web in the operating system's own engine, so there is no Chromium copy to download or keep updated; the Rust side adds the desktop pieces and keeps every account in its own isolated data store.
- 01WebKitGTKLinux — the system web view (needs WebKitGTK 2.46.1 or newer).
- 02WebView2Windows 10/11 — the Evergreen WebView2 runtime that ships with Windows 11.
- 03WKWebViewmacOS 12.1+ — the same engine as Safari; multiple accounts need macOS 14.
- 04RustTauri v2 shell: windows, tray, notifications, accounts, lock, updater and settings, compiled to one native binary.
Install
Linux: Flatpak (x86_64 or ARM64)
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/karem505/whatRust/master/install-flatpak.sh | shLinux AppImage or macOS (Apple Silicon)
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/karem505/whatRust/master/install.sh | shWindows 10/11 (PowerShell)
irm https://raw.githubusercontent.com/karem505/whatRust/master/install.ps1 | iexManual download
.flatpak, .AppImage, .deb, .dmg, .exe or .msi from the latest release.
GitHub ReleasesAfter install, open whatRust and scan the QR code with WhatsApp on your phone: Settings → Linked devices → Link a device.
Why I built a WhatsApp desktop app in Rust and Tauri
Multiple isolated accounts, the privacy blur, the app lock and an updater that checks every download.
Frequently asked questions
What is whatRust?
whatRust is a free, open-source desktop app for WhatsApp Web on Linux, Windows and macOS, built by Abo-Elmakarem Shohoud with Rust and Tauri v2. It shows the official web.whatsapp.com in your system web view and adds what a browser tab cannot: multiple accounts, a privacy blur, an app lock, tray, notifications and verified automatic updates.
Is whatRust an official WhatsApp app?
No. It is an unofficial, independent project, not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by WhatsApp or Meta. Linking it uses the same Linked Devices flow as WhatsApp Web.
Can I use more than one WhatsApp account?
Yes. Add an account in Settings → Accounts and scan its QR code. Each account gets its own window and a completely separate session (cookies, storage and login). The tray shows a combined unread count. On macOS this needs macOS 14 or later.
Does whatRust read my messages?
No. It loads the official WhatsApp Web page and adds no message-handling layer of its own. It has no servers, and the only request it makes besides WhatsApp is an anonymous update check to api.github.com, which you can turn off.
What does the privacy blur do?
It blurs chat names, messages, previews, profile pictures, media and the text box, so people around you cannot read your screen. Press Ctrl+Shift+P (⌘+Shift+P on a Mac) in a WhatsApp window to choose what is blurred and how much, and set a global shortcut in Settings to turn it on or off.
Does the app lock encrypt my data?
No. The lock controls who can open whatRust windows; it does not encrypt the session on disk. For protection at rest, use full-disk encryption (FileVault, BitLocker or LUKS). If you forget the password, Reset logs out every account and clears the lock.
Do voice and video calls work?
Voice messages work everywhere. Calls work on macOS. WhatsApp Web does not offer calls to Windows browsers, and the Linux web engines lack the calling path WhatsApp needs, so on those systems use the WhatsApp app on your phone for calls.
Is it lighter than the official WhatsApp Desktop?
Its own shell is small (around 90 MB) because it reuses the web view your system already has instead of bundling a browser engine. Total memory is still dominated by WhatsApp Web itself and grows with your chats and media, much like any browser-based client.
Built by Abo-Elmakarem Shohoud, CTO and full-stack engineer in Cairo. Also by me: Rusty Inbox, an open-source email client. I build fast internal tools and automate how companies work — see digital transformation consulting.