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Ask HN: Why WhastApp Web is currently only available on Google Chrome?
If I can ask more specifically, what are the features that is being used in WhatsApp Web such that it currently can be available only on Google Chrome?
I've tested to trick WhatsApp Web through changing my User-Agent, and the Firefox & IE fails (errors in console). Hence I think there is some feature that is Chrome-specific only, but what is this feature? Can anyone point it out?
Thanks.
- buttscicles 12y agoSame reason it's only on android, I believe it uses some API specific to chrome & android. Not sure exaxtly what, though.
- mtmail 12y agoMaybe http://caniuse.com/#feat=serviceworkers http://caniuse.com/#feat=serviceworkers I'm just guessing.
- nsm 12y agoServiceworkers only shipped in Chrome 40 which was released on Jan 30, so that is not the reason. it is the filesystem api.
- coralreef 12y agoWhatsApp is only on android? I have it on my iPhone...
- infinii 12y agothe web version, not the mobile app.
- mszyndel 12y agoTechnically because it uses filesystem API available in Chrome which is non standard. But really - because they don't get it...
- mtmail 12y agoYes, came back here to correct my comment. They're using the requestFileSystem. http://caniuse.com/#feat=filesystem http://caniuse.com/#feat=filesystem
- new_user_name 12y agoWhy am I not able to see any AJAX calls in the network tab of Developer tools! What's the magic here?