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WhatsApp Gateway

Chat with Dexter through WhatsApp by linking your phone to the gateway. Messages you send to yourself (self-chat) are processed by Dexter and responses are sent back to the same chat.

Table of Contents

✅ Prerequisites

  • Dexter installed and working (see main README)
  • WhatsApp installed on your phone
  • Your phone connected to the internet

🔗 How to Link WhatsApp

Link your WhatsApp account to Dexter by scanning a QR code:

bun run gateway:login

This will:

  1. Display a QR code in your terminal
  2. Open WhatsApp on your phone
  3. Go to Settings > Linked Devices > Link a Device
  4. Scan the QR code

After linking, you'll be asked how you want to use Dexter:

Option 1: Self-chat (personal phone)

Use your own WhatsApp to talk to Dexter by messaging yourself. The linked phone number is added to allowFrom and self-chat mode is activated automatically.

Option 2: Dedicated bot phone

If Dexter has its own phone number (e.g. a separate SIM), choose this option and enter the phone number(s) allowed to message it. The gateway will be configured with dmPolicy: "allowlist" so other people can DM the bot.

Credentials are saved to .dexter/credentials/whatsapp/default/.

🚀 How to Run

Start the gateway to begin receiving messages:

bun run gateway

You should see:

[whatsapp] Connected
Dexter gateway running. Press Ctrl+C to stop.

The gateway will now listen for incoming WhatsApp messages and respond using Dexter.

💬 How to Chat

Once the gateway is running:

  1. Open WhatsApp on your phone
  2. Go to your own chat (message yourself)
  3. Send a message like "What is Apple's revenue?"
  4. You'll see a typing indicator while Dexter processes
  5. Dexter's response will appear in the chat

Example conversation:

You: What was NVIDIA's revenue in 2024?
Dexter: NVIDIA's revenue for fiscal year 2024 was $60.9 billion...

⚙️ Configuration

The gateway configuration is stored at .dexter/gateway.json. It's auto-created when you run gateway:login.

Self-chat configuration (personal phone, message yourself):

{
  "gateway": {
    "accountId": "default",
    "logLevel": "info"
  },
  "channels": {
    "whatsapp": {
      "enabled": true,
      "allowFrom": ["+1234567890"]
    }
  },
  "bindings": []
}

Bot phone configuration (dedicated Dexter phone, others message it):

{
  "gateway": {
    "accountId": "default",
    "logLevel": "info"
  },
  "channels": {
    "whatsapp": {
      "enabled": true,
      "accounts": {
        "default": {
          "dmPolicy": "allowlist",
          "allowFrom": ["+1555YOURNUM"],
          "groupPolicy": "disabled",
          "groupAllowFrom": []
        }
      },
      "allowFrom": ["+1555YOURNUM"]
    }
  },
  "bindings": []
}

Key settings:

Setting Description
channels.whatsapp.allowFrom Phone numbers allowed to message Dexter (E.164 format)
channels.whatsapp.enabled Enable/disable the WhatsApp channel
accounts.<id>.dmPolicy DM access policy: pairing (default), allowlist, open, or disabled
accounts.<id>.allowFrom Per-account allowed senders (overrides top-level allowFrom)
gateway.logLevel Log verbosity: silent, error, info, debug

👥 Group Chat

Dexter can participate in WhatsApp group chats, responding only when @-mentioned.

Setup

Add group policy to your account in .dexter/gateway.json:

{
  "channels": {
    "whatsapp": {
      "enabled": true,
      "accounts": {
        "default": {
          "groupPolicy": "open",       // "open", "allowlist", or "disabled"
          "groupAllowFrom": ["*"]       // no need to list individual group members
        }
      },
      "allowFrom": ["+1234567890"]      // existing DM allowlist (unrelated to groups)
    }
  }
}
Setting Description
groupPolicy "open" (any group), "allowlist" (restricted), or "disabled" (default)
groupAllowFrom Which groups Dexter can participate in (["*"] for any)

You don't need to list individual group members — when groupPolicy is "open", Dexter will respond to @-mentions from anyone in any group it's added to.

Usage

  1. Add Dexter's WhatsApp number to a group
  2. Send messages normally — Dexter stays silent
  3. @-mention Dexter (tap @ and select from the picker) to get a response
  4. Dexter sees recent group messages for context, so it can follow the conversation

Note: You must use WhatsApp's @-mention picker (tap @ then select the contact) — typing a phone number manually won't trigger a response.

🔄 How to Relink

If you need to relink your WhatsApp (e.g., after logging out or switching phones):

  1. Stop the gateway (Ctrl+C)
  2. Delete the credentials: 
    rm -rf .dexter/credentials/whatsapp/default
  3. Run login again: 
    bun run gateway:login
  4. Scan the new QR code

🐛 Troubleshooting

Gateway shows "Disconnected":

  • Check your internet connection
  • Try relinking (see above)

Messages not being received:

  • Verify your phone number is in allowFrom in .dexter/gateway.json
  • Make sure you're messaging yourself (self-chat mode)

Debug logs:

  • Check .dexter/gateway-debug.log for detailed logs

🔧 Full Reset

If you're experiencing persistent issues (connection problems, encryption errors, messages not sending), perform a full reset:

  1. Stop the gateway (Ctrl+C if running)

  2. Unlink from WhatsApp:

    • Open WhatsApp on your phone
    • Go to Settings > Linked Devices
    • Tap on the Dexter device and select Log Out

  3. Clear all local data:

    rm -rf .dexter/credentials/whatsapp/default
rm -rf .dexter/gateway.json
rm -rf .dexter/gateway-debug.log

  4. Relink and start fresh:

    bun run gateway:login

  5. Scan the QR code and start the gateway:

    bun run gateway

This clears all cached credentials and encryption sessions, which resolves most connection issues.