Connect Claude or ChatGPT to WhatsApp on Mac — Locally, No Business API
WhatsApp has no consumer API, so cloud connectors can't reach your personal chats. LMCP connects your AI to WhatsApp through a local client you sign into by QR — read, search and send messages, on-device. Works with Claude Desktop, Cursor, VS Code, ChatGPT, and Windsurf.
Why cloud connectors can't reach your WhatsApp
WhatsApp offers a Business API for companies, but no API for your personal account. There is no OAuth flow, no endpoint a cloud assistant can call to read your chats. That's why every API-based or cloud integration is blind to personal WhatsApp — the only place your messages live that a tool can reach is the WhatsApp client on your own machine.
LMCP connects to that local client, so your AI can work with your WhatsApp chats through local tools. Requested messages are returned to your AI client and can be processed by its cloud provider.
How LMCP Connects to WhatsApp
LMCP talks to WhatsApp through a local WhatsApp Web client. The first time, you link it the same way you link WhatsApp Web in a browser: by scanning a QR code from your phone (WhatsApp → Settings → Linked Devices). After that, your AI assistant can:
- List your chats — recent 1:1 and group conversations (
whatsapp_list_chats) - Read a conversation — message history from any chat (
whatsapp_read_messages) - Search messages — find messages by keyword (
whatsapp_search_messages) - Send a message — reply or start a chat (
whatsapp_send_message) - Send a file — share a document or image (
whatsapp_send_file)
It runs locally on your Mac — the link is between your device and WhatsApp, the same as WhatsApp Web.
How to Install
- Open the installer, drag Local MCP to Applications, and open it — it lands in your menu bar and configures your AI clients automatically
- When you first use a WhatsApp tool, LMCP shows a QR code — scan it from WhatsApp on your phone (Settings → Linked Devices → Link a Device)
- Restart your AI client so it picks up the new tools
Example Prompts
- “Summarize the family group chat from today”
- “Did the supplier reply about the invoice on WhatsApp?”
- “Find the address someone sent me last week”
- “Reply to Ana that I'll be there at 8”
Because WhatsApp lives in the same LMCP server as your Mail, iMessage, Teams and Slack, your AI can pull a detail from a WhatsApp chat and act on it — draft the email, add the reminder — in one request.
LMCP vs Open-Source WhatsApp MCP Servers
Searching for a “WhatsApp MCP server” also turns up open-source projects — most notably lharries/whatsapp-mcp (a Go bridge on the whatsmeow library plus a Python MCP server, message history in SQLite) and wweb-mcp (built on whatsapp-web.js). They are good projects and take the same fundamental approach as LMCP: an unofficial WhatsApp Web session linked by QR, running on your machine. The honest comparison:
| Option | Scope | Setup | Web AIs (ChatGPT, Claude.ai) |
|---|---|---|---|
| LMCP (Local MCP) | WhatsApp plus iMessage, Mail, Teams, Slack, Calendar — 188+ tools | Signed 2-min installer, QR link on first use | Yes — optional encrypted relay |
| lharries/whatsapp-mcp | WhatsApp only (read, search, send, media) | Build Go bridge + Python server, manual MCP config | No — desktop clients only |
| wweb-mcp | WhatsApp only (whatsapp-web.js session) | Node setup + manual MCP config | No — desktop clients only |
| Business-API servers (GreenAPI etc.) | WhatsApp Business accounts, not your personal chats | API keys + a paid third-party gateway | Depends on the gateway (cloud) |
In short: pick lharries/whatsapp-mcp if you want a hackable WhatsApp-only server and are happy building from source. Pick LMCP if you want WhatsApp working next to iMessage, Mail and Teams in one install — also reachable from ChatGPT and Claude.ai on the web. The ToS caveat below applies equally to every unofficial-client option, including the open-source ones.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there an official WhatsApp API for personal accounts?
No. WhatsApp only offers the Business API. Every personal-account integration — LMCP and the open-source servers alike — works by linking an unofficial WhatsApp Web session by QR, so the same Terms-of-Service caution applies to all of them.
Which WhatsApp MCP server should I choose?
For a minimal, hackable WhatsApp-only tool, lharries/whatsapp-mcp is the reference open-source choice. For WhatsApp alongside iMessage, Mail, Teams and Calendar in a single signed installer — plus access from ChatGPT and Claude.ai on the web — choose Local MCP.
Important: unofficial client & limitations
- Uses an unofficial WhatsApp Web client. WhatsApp does not provide a personal API, so this works by linking a WhatsApp Web session. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by WhatsApp/Meta, and automating WhatsApp can be against WhatsApp's Terms of Service — accounts have been restricted for automated use. Use your own judgment, and avoid bulk or spammy sending.
- Requires QR link — you sign in once by scanning a QR from your phone, like WhatsApp Web.
- Local only — the session runs on your Mac; messages aren't uploaded anywhere by LMCP.
- Personal accounts — this is for your own WhatsApp, not the Business API.
LMCP connects your AI to your whole Mac, locally — see the iMessage guide, the best MCP server for Mac comparison, or the full list of guides. Learn more at local-mcp.com.
Ready-Made Recipes
Copy-paste workflows that use WhatsApp together with your other apps:
- Have your AI schedule a meeting over email and WhatsApp
- Find every unanswered client request across WhatsApp, Slack, Teams & email
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Comments
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