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How to Use WhatsApp on a Raspberry Pi Zero

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How to Use WhatsApp on a Raspberry Pi Zero

WhatsApp is a popular messaging application that allows you to send text messages, make voice and video calls, and share media content. Although WhatsApp does not offer an official application for the Raspberry Pi Zero, it is still possible to use WhatsApp on this small and powerful device by following these steps.

Prerequisites

Before we begin, make sure you have the following:

  1. Raspberry Pi Zero running Raspbian OS (with internet connectivity)
  2. USB microphone and speaker (or a USB headset)
  3. USB webcam (optional for video calls)
  4. Mobile phone with WhatsApp installed (to scan QR code)

Step 1: Installing Required Packages

  1. Open the terminal on your Raspberry Pi Zero or connect to it remotely via SSH.
  2. Update the package list by running the following command:
sudo apt-get update
  1. Install the necessary packages by running the following command:
sudo apt-get install alsa-utils pulseaudio git python3-pip python3-dev libffi-dev libssl-dev -y

Step 2: Installing Yowsup Library

  1. Download and install the Yowsup library by running these commands:
git clone https://github.com/tgalal/yowsup.git
cd yowsup
sudo python3 setup.py install

Step 3: Registering a WhatsApp Account

  1. In the terminal, navigate to the Yowsup library folder by running the following command:
cd yowsup
  1. Register a new WhatsApp account by running the following command:
yowsup-cli registration --requestcode sms --phone [your-phone-number] --cc [your-country-code] --mcc [your-mobile-country-code] --mnc [your-mobile-network-code]

Replace the placeholders ([your-phone-number], [your-country-code], [your-mobile-country-code], [your-mobile-network-code]) with your actual information. For example:

yowsup-cli registration --requestcode sms --phone 123456789 --cc 1 --mcc 123 --mnc 45
  1. You will receive a verification code on your mobile phone through SMS. Use the following command to verify your account:
yowsup-cli registration --register [verification-code] --phone [your-phone-number]

Again, replace the placeholders with your actual information. For example:

yowsup-cli registration --register 123456 --phone 123456789

Step 4: Configuration

  1. Create a configuration file using the following command:
cp config.example yowsup-cli.config
  1. Open the configuration file using a text editor:
nano yowsup-cli.config
  1. Modify the phone and id fields with your registered phone number (without leading country code) and unique ID respectively.
  2. Save and exit the configuration file.

Step 5: Connecting to WhatsApp

  1. Start the WhatsApp connection by running the following command:
yowsup-cli demos --config yowsup-cli.config
  1. Open WhatsApp on your mobile phone and navigate to "WhatsApp Web" in the settings menu.
  2. Scan the QR code displayed in the terminal using your mobile phone to establish a connection.

Now you can use WhatsApp on your Raspberry Pi Zero!

Additional Notes

  • If you encounter any issues with audio or microphone input, adjust the volume levels using the alsamixer command.
  • To send messages using the Yowsup CLI, follow the syntax: message send [phone-number] "message-content". For example:
yowsup-cli demos --config yowsup-cli.config message send 123456789 "Hello from Raspberry Pi!"
  • For more advanced features and functionalities, refer to the official Yowsup documentation.

Congratulations! You have successfully set up WhatsApp on your Raspberry Pi Zero. Enjoy messaging and calling using this versatile device!