Quick Answer
You can stop WhatsApp from syncing to your desktop in a few easy steps:
- Open WhatsApp on your computer.
- Click on the Settings icon in the top right.
- Go to the Linked Devices section.
- Click on the device you want to unlink.
- A confirmation message will appear. Click unlink to confirm.
This will stop that device from syncing with your WhatsApp account. You can repeat this process for any linked devices you want to unlink.
Detailed Guide
WhatsApp allows you to sync your chats and data across multiple devices through its multi-device feature. This connects your WhatsApp account on your phone with WhatsApp on your computer or Portal device.
While this can be useful to seamlessly continue conversations across devices, you may wish to stop a particular device from syncing for privacy or other reasons.
Fortunately, WhatsApp makes it easy to stop syncing your account to a linked device. Here are the detailed steps:
1. Open WhatsApp on your Computer
First, open the WhatsApp desktop application on the computer you want to unlink. This is the program you use to access WhatsApp on your PC or Mac.
Make sure you have an active internet connection on your computer.
2. Access Settings
In the top-right corner of the WhatsApp window, click on the Settings icon. It looks like three vertical dots.
3. Go to Linked Devices
This will open up the Settings menu. Click on Linked Devices in the left sidebar.
4. Select the Device to Unlink
Under the Linked Devices section, you will see a list of all the devices connected to your WhatsApp account.
Click on the device you want to unlink from your account. This is typically your computer or Portal.
5. Confirm Unlinking
A confirmation popup will appear stating that this device will no longer receive messages or calls when unlinked.
Click on Unlink to confirm.
6. Repeat for Other Devices
If you want to unlink other devices like another computer or Portal, repeat steps 4 and 5.
Once complete, your selected devices will no longer be linked or synced to your WhatsApp account. New messages will stop appearing on those unlinked devices.
And that’s it! WhatsApp should no longer sync or share data with the desktop apps and devices you unlinked.
Why Unlink a Desktop Device?
Here are some common reasons you may want to stop WhatsApp syncing and unlink a desktop device:
- Privacy – Stop that device accessing your chats and data.
- Security – If you lost access to that computer or gave it away.
- Annoyance – Getting notifications on more devices than you want.
- Confusion – Seeing the same chats on multiple devices.
- Switching computers – When you get a new PC and no longer use the old one.
- Troubleshooting – Fixing WhatsApp sync issues by resetting linked devices.
Essentially, unlinking a desktop device lets you selectively control which PCs and devices can access your WhatsApp account.
What Happens When You Unlink a Device?
When you unlink a desktop device from your WhatsApp account:
- That device will immediately stop syncing your new messages and calls.
- Your chat history on that device remains intact.
- You can still use WhatsApp for web on that device by scanning a QR code.
- The device appears under ‘Formerly Linked Devices’ in your settings.
- You can relink the device later if needed.
So unlinking is a reversible action if you change your mind. But the device will need to sync your chat history again from the cloud.
Importantly, any new messages you send or receive after unlinking will NOT appear on that device. So unlinking stops that device syncing your latest WhatsApp activity.
How Many Devices Can You Link?
Currently, you can link up to 4 devices in addition to your phone to your WhatsApp account. They can be:
- 4 Computers (PC or Mac)
- 1 Portal
- 1 Facebook Portal TV
- 1 Web browser session via WhatsApp Web.
So in total, up to 5 devices can stay linked and syncing with your phone’s WhatsApp at any one time.
If you try to link more devices, you may need to unlink an existing device first.
Can You Stop WhatsApp Syncing to Your Phone?
Unlike other devices, you cannot directly unlink your phone from your WhatsApp account. This is because your WhatsApp account is tied to your phone number.
However, there are a couple of options to stop syncing WhatsApp on your phone:
- Delete your WhatsApp account – This will delete your chat history and remove your account from your phone.
- Change your phone number – Get a new number for your phone which will have a separate WhatsApp account.
- Delete the WhatsApp app – Removing the app from your phone will stop syncing, but your account remains active.
- Turn off auto-backup – Disable chat backups to stop your chat history syncing to iCloud or Google Drive.
- Log out – On Android you can remain logged out of your WhatsApp account to stop syncing.
So while you can’t directly unlink your phone, there are options to achieve a similar result. But your underlying WhatsApp account will still remain active.
Troubleshooting WhatsApp Sync Issues
In some cases, you may encounter issues getting WhatsApp to properly sync across your devices:
- Chats and new messages not appearing on linked devices.
- Sync gets stuck and new messages don’t come through.
- Unable to link new device even after unlinking old ones.
- WhatsApp crashes frequently when trying to sync chats.
Here are some troubleshooting steps for fixing WhatsApp linkage and sync issues:
- Check internet connection on all devices.
- Update WhatsApp to the latest version on all devices.
- Force close and restart the WhatsApp app on all devices.
- Unlink all devices then relink your preferred devices.
- Log out then back in to your WhatsApp account on your phone.
- Clear app cache and data for WhatsApp app on your phone.
- Restart your phone.
- Try linking devices one at a time, testing sync between each.
Following these steps can often resolve common WhatsApp sync problems by resetting everything. Make sure to backup chats before unlinking devices or clearing app data.
WhatsApp Web vs Linked Devices
It’s important to note the difference between WhatsApp Web and officially linked devices:
- WhatsApp Web – This connects your phone’s WhatsApp to WhatsApp Web in a browser tab via QR code. It mirrors chats from your phone but does not independently sync messages.
- Linked Devices – These devices link directly to your WhatsApp account and can independently sync messages without your phone.
So Linked Devices continue working even when your phone is offline. Unlinking them stops independent sync, while WhatsApp Web only mirrors your phone’s app.
Linking New Devices
If you’ve unlinked some devices and want to link your WhatsApp account to new devices, follow these steps:
- Open WhatsApp on your phone – Linked devices sync from here.
- On the new device, install WhatsApp and log in with your phone number.
- Open WhatsApp on your phone and go to Linked Devices in Settings.
- Tap on ‘Link New Device’. Point the phone’s camera at the QR code on the new device.
- The new device should now be linked. Allow some time for your chat history to sync across.
Repeat these steps for any additional devices like computers or Portal. Remember you can link up to 4 devices and 1 WhatsApp Web session at a time.
Conclusion
Unlinking a desktop device from your WhatsApp account is straightforward:
- Open WhatsApp Settings > Linked Devices on that computer.
- Select the device and confirm unlinking.
- The device will stop syncing your new messages.
This allows you to selectively control WhatsApp syncing across your phone, computer, Portal and other devices. While WhatsApp Web mirrors your phone’s app, linked devices can independently sync.
If you face any linkage issues, try resetting devices by unlinking then relinking. Overall, the ability to unlink desktop devices gives you more control over privacy and managing multi-device WhatsApp usage.