OpenClaw's default control channel is Telegram, and it works well. But a lot of people live in WhatsApp — and if you'd rather not install a new app just to talk to your agent, this guide is for you. Here's how to get it working.
This guide assumes you already have an OpenClaw instance running on a server. If you don't, start with our client setup guide first.
Step 1: Install the WhatsApp channel plugin
SSH into your server and run:
openclaw channels add --channel whatsappThis downloads and installs the WhatsApp plugin. It only needs to be done once per instance.
Step 2: Start the login flow
Run:
openclaw channels login --channel whatsappOpenClaw will display a QR code directly in the terminal. One gotcha: the QR code needs to be small enough to scan cleanly. If it looks like a wall of characters, shrink your terminal font with Ctrl + − a few times until it resolves into a clean grid.
Step 3: Link your device
On your phone:
- Open WhatsApp
- Tap the menu (three dots, top right) → Linked Devices
- Tap + Link a Device
- Scan the QR code in your terminal
The link may take a few seconds to confirm. Wait for WhatsApp to show the device as connected before moving on.
Step 4: Approve the device in OpenClaw
Back on the server, list the pending devices:
openclaw devices listFind the device ID and approve it:
openclaw devices approve <device-id>You may need to run this twice — once to approve the device itself, and once to approve the requested permission scopes. Run openclaw devices list again after the first approval to check if there are outstanding scope requests.
Step 5: Start a conversation
Once the device is approved, open WhatsApp, tap the new message icon, and select Message yourself. Type anything to get the agent's attention. OpenClaw will respond in that thread.
A note on chat bubbles
If you use the "Message yourself" approach, all messages — yours and the agent's — will appear on the right side of the chat, since they technically all come from the same account. It works, but it's not the most intuitive experience.
For a cleaner setup where agent replies appear as a separate contact on the left side, the agent needs its own phone number. A cheap prepaid SIM or a VoIP number (Google Voice, TextNow) works well. Create a fresh WhatsApp account on that number, link it to OpenClaw instead, and you can message your agent like any other contact. The chat will look and feel like a normal conversation.
The "Message yourself" flow is good enough to start. You can always migrate to a dedicated number later without reinstalling anything — just re-run the login flow with the new account.
Questions or running into something not covered here? Get in touch — we're happy to help.