Send Images over WhatsApp in Java - Complete Guide

Automate WhatsApp image sharing using the WhatsMate WA Gateway REST API

Posted on September 13, 2017   Share on Facebook Share on LinkedIn Share on Twitter Share on Google+

Last reviewed: February 11, 2026  

Automate WhatsApp Image Sharing with Java

Looking to automate WhatsApp image sharing, visual notifications, or media delivery from your Java applications? This guide walks you through sending images to WhatsApp users using Java and the WhatsMate WA Gateway REST API. Perfect for Java developers, system administrators, and automation enthusiasts who want to integrate visual content delivery into their Java-based workflows.

📋 Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have:

  1. A WhatsMate WA Gateway account - Required for API access
  2. Recipient registration - Each recipient must register with the Gateway first
  3. Basic Java knowledge - Familiarity with Java programming
  4. Image file ready - Have the image you want to send available locally
  5. Required dependencies - Gson and Commons Codec libraries (Maven or JARs)

⚠️ Important: Recipients must register with the WhatsMate WA Gateway before they can receive messages. Unregistered users will not receive any messages from the Gateway. Registration instructions are available on the official WhatsMate site.

📝 Step-by-Step Implementation

Follow these steps to send your first image to a WhatsApp user from a Java application:

1. Copy the Java Code Template

Start by copying the following source code into your Java file:

2. Configure a few Parameters

Customize these key parameters in the Java code:

  • Line 49: Replace YOUR_INSTANCE_ID_HERE with your WhatsApp gateway instance ID
  • Lines 50-51: Update YOUR_CLIENT_ID_HERE and YOUR_CLIENT_SECRET_HERE with your Client ID and Secret
  • Line 60: Replace 1234556899 with the target phone number (including the country code)
  • Line 62: Replace ../assets/cute-girl.jpg with the path to your image file
  • Line 64: Replace Lovely Gal with an optional caption for your image

3. Compile the Java Program

Compile the Java source code using Maven or manual compilation:

Using Maven: Add dependencies to your pom.xml as shown in lines 2-12 of the source code

Manual compilation:

javac -cp "jars/gson-2.8.0.jar:jars/commons-codec-1.10.jar" WaImageSender.java

4. Send Your Image

Run the compiled Java program to deliver your image to WhatsApp:

Using Maven: Run as a standard Java application

Manual execution:

java -cp ".:jars/gson-2.8.0.jar:jars/commons-codec-1.10.jar" WaImageSender

🔧 Common Use Cases

This automation approach is ideal for:

  • Visual system monitoring - Send server status screenshots or graphs to WhatsApp from Java applications
  • Automated photo sharing - Deliver daily photos or visual updates via WhatsApp using Java
  • Image-based reports - Share charts, diagrams, or visual data through WhatsApp from Java systems
  • Media content delivery - Distribute images as part of automated WhatsApp workflows in Java
  • Integration with Java image processing - Combine with Java libraries that generate or modify images for WhatsApp delivery

🚀 Get Started Today

Ready to automate your image sharing over WhatsApp with Java? You’ll need a trial account to access the API. Sign up for a 2-week trial and start sending images within minutes!

Next Steps: Once you’ve mastered basic image sending, explore advanced features like sending documents or group messages through the WhatsMate WA Gateway API documentation.