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 without anything routing through a third-party server.
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 — 230+ 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.