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10 hidden WhatsApp tricks for desktop

10 hidden WhatsApp tricks for desktop
Russell Kidson

Russell Kidson

  • Updated:

Updated5 tips added

WhatsApp is one of the world’s favorite means of communication. Since the events of 2020, much of the world’s population has moved into a new work-from-home normal. The shift in how the world operates has seen an increase in their reliance on communication software like WhatsApp. However, people aren’t just using WhatsApp on their phones anymore.

WhatsApp DOWNLOAD

One of the most convenient ways to use the app is through the WhatsApp Web portal. Apart from letting you communicate while working without having to look at your phone, WhatsApp Web offers many distinct advantages to the conventional mobile app. Below, we will give you five quick tricks to get the most out of your WhatsApp Web usage. 

Opening WhatsApp Web properly

The first WhatsApp Web-associated trick we have for you is how to open the utility. If you think about it, no trick we share with you would be worth anything if you don’t know how to open WhatsApp Web. 

Open your desired browser and head to web.whatsapp.com. This is the official portal for WhatsApp Web. Here, you’ll see a QR code with the WhatsApp logo at its center. 

Get your phone out and open up WhatsApp. Click on the kebab menu at the top right-hand side of the screen and click on Linked devices. Click on the green Link a Device button and then point your camera at the QR code on your computer screen. 

You’ll need to wait a few seconds for WhatsApp Web to initialize, but you’ll now have access to all the functionality of Whatsapp, but from the comfort and superior typing capabilities of your computer. Neat!

Keyboard shortcuts

Keyboard shortcuts are the biggest advantage that WhatsApp Web has over its mobile-based counterpart. Claiming mastery over the shortcuts listed below will unleash the typing ninja within you and increase your productivity as you ditch your mouse for keyboard-only control of your WhatsApp Web environment. 

  • Ctrl + Alt + Shift + U: Mark as unread
  • Ctrl + Alt + Shift + M: Mute
  • Ctrl + Alt + E: Archive chat
  • Ctrl + Alt + Backspace: Delete chat
  • Ctrl + Alt + Shift + P: Pin chat
  • Ctrl + Alt + / (forward slash): Search
  • Ctrl + Alt + Shift + F: Search chat
  • Ctrl + Alt + N: New chat
  • Ctrl + Alt + Shift + N: New group
  • Ctrl + Alt + P: Profile and About
  • Ctrl + Alt + , (comma): Settings
5 quick tricks for WhatsApp Web

Multiple WhatsApp accounts from one PC

Many people have multiple mobile devices for work and private use and therefore may have two or more WhatsApp accounts. If this is the case, it’s more than possible to run separate accounts on WhatsApp Web as well. Unfortunately, you can’t just open WhatsApp Web in two different browser tabs. WhatsApp Web isn’t able to open two different profiles in one browser. There is, however, a workaround for this.

You could get around this bug by opening up one standard tab and one incognito tab. WhatsApp will register the two tabs as separate entities and therefore allow the usage of separate accounts. However, WhatsApp will only let you use the service from an incognito tab for an hour before automatically logging you out. 

Another workaround is to use a separate browser altogether. I have Brave installed for this and other reasons. However, most people who use Google Chrome will already have Microsoft Edge installed natively on their PCs. 

5 quick tricks for WhatsApp Web

Format WhatsApp messages

Formatting is a means of applying emphasis to various parts of a message. Whether you embolden certain words to draw attention to them or need to italicize quoted content, it’s always handy to know how to add more depth to a text on WhatsApp Web. Here are the four ways in which you can format WhatsApp texts: 

  • Bold: Place an asterisk (*) on either side of your text.
  • Italic: Place an underscore (_) on either side of your text.
  • Strikethrough: Place a tilde (~) on either side of your text.
  • Monospace: Place three backticks (“`) on either side of your text.
5 quick tricks for WhatsApp Web

WA Web Plus

This is a fantastic extension for WhatsApp Web that you can pick up from the Chrome Web Store. WA Web Plus brings in so much functionality from the mobile variant of WhatsApp in addition to introducing completely new content and customization options. 

Privacy options

WA Web Plus lets you blur out your private information so that anyone looking over your shoulder can’t see what you don’t want them to be able to. You’re also able to restore deleted messages and lock your WhatsApp screen without locking the rest of your device with this utility. This ensures your privacy like not many other extensions for WhatsApp Web can. 

Customization options

With WA Web Plus you can have the mobile like and reaction buttons on WhatsApp Web as well as the ability to see whether your contacts are online. This utility also gives you the ability to customize your chat screen wallpaper. You can also start conversations with people not on your mobile contact list and you can pin unlimited chats. 

Business tools

The best thing about WA Web Plus is that it adds numerous business tools that you can use to streamline how you use WhatsApp Web in a professional setting. With this utility, you can export contacts, chats, groups, and labels to excel spreadsheets, implement smart auto-replies, and initiate multiple message broadcasting

5 quick tricks for WhatsApp Web

Dark mode for WhatsApp Web

Dark mode is one of the most important innovations to hit WhatsApp in the last few years. This mode means you can use WhatsApp at night or in low light conditions without detrimental effects on your ocular health. Now, you can use dark mode on WhatsApp Web too! Here’s how:

  • Click the kebab menu to open the options list.
  • Click Settings.
  • Click Theme.
  • Select Dark.
  • Click OK.

Here’s a guide on how to activate dark mode for Whatsapp on your phone:

How to activate dark mode in WhatsApp and Messenger READ MORE
5 quick tricks for WhatsApp Web

WhatsApp for work

This featurette is thanks to another useful Google Chrome extension for WhatsApp Web. Cooby gives you access to far superior organizational tools and options than WhatsApp Web natively has, and makes it easier to keep track of important messages and text threads. So many users have already used WhatsApp to launch and operate their businesses.

Such is the case with a lot of the local Kirana stores in India. Cooby makes this WhatsApp x Business idea a reality for users who primarily use their desktop or laptop devices for work. 

India’s famous Kirana Stores could see a 21st century Whatsapp-based revamp READ MORE
WhatsApp tricks for desktop

Tabs!

Cooby introduces the ability to sort your chats into tabs, according to your needs. This means you no longer have to undertake those endless scrolling missions while trying to find an important chat thread. 

Productivity boost

Nothing eats away at productivity like an inefficient organizational scheme. If WhatsApp Web is your primary means of doing business, you need an organizational system that keeps you operating at peak functionality without having to dedicate too much time to your busy schedule to keep organized.

Enter Cooby’s Notes, Reminders, Share conversations, and Schedule events features. Take down important chat-or-contact-specific notes, synchronize events with Google Calendar, share conversations with a simple link, and so much more!

Be sure to check out our guide on using WhatsApp to be more productive.

WhatsApp pop-up

Instead of having WhatsApp Web open permanently in a tab – we know how temperamental Google Chrome can be with too many tabs open – try using WhatsApp Web as a convenient pop-up. Desktop WA is another really cool extension for Chromium-based browsers if you want more flexible WhatsApp Web usage.

This extension opens WhatsApp Web up as a pop-up every time you click on the extension. This means that WhatsApp Web is only open when you need it. As soon as you’ve conducted your WhatsApp-based business, simply click on the extension panel again the pop-up will vanish. No more tab wastage in Google Chrome! 

WhatsApp tricks for desktop

Avoid the dreaded blue-tick-of-death to your snooping habits

Let’s face it, sometimes we want to be able to read messages without having to respond immediately or provide instant acknowledgement to the neurotic texter on the other end of the line. An even more practical example is when you’re communicating with that person that can’t say what they need to say in one message and splits their transmission over 400 messages and give-or-take 3 hours of your life. If you want to read their rant without them knowing that you’ve been reading it the entire time and thus expecting an instant reply, here’s a trick.

Leave your Whatsapp Web tab open, but drag another tab partially over it. This is to trick your device into thinking you have no interest in what’s going on within the confines of your WhatsApp Web tab, even though your eyes are glued to the screen as if it’s a presidential debate or the Detroit Lions getting thrashed, again. It’s human nature to not be able to look away from a trainwreck, pick your poison. 

You’ll need to have your mouse pointer on the upper tab though. If your pointer is on the WhatsApp Web tab, it’ll register as the active tab and the trick won’t work. Essentially, if the WhatsApp Web tab is obscured and doesn’t register as the tab currently in use, the messages coming through won’t be blue ticked on the other side of the screen, even though you’re reading through them all, popcorn in hand. 

WhatsApp tricks for desktop

Drag & Drop

Being able to drag & drop content is one of my favorite functions of any desktop-based utility. WhatsApp Web is no different. The WhatsApp chat interface is as easy to navigate as that of the mobile variant and even looks almost identical, apart from the proportion adjustments to make the app more functional from a bigger landscape-oriented screen. In the same way that you click on the paper clip icon to send an extended selection of content formats in the WhatsApp mobile app, you do the same on WhatsApp Web. 

When you click the paper clip, located on the bottom right-hand side of the screen, you should see a new interface open up. This new interface will resemble your file explorer, and you’ll be able to search for files here. You’ll also see a broken-line frame in the chat interface. When you’ve found the file you want to send, simply click on it and drag it to anywhere within the broken-line frame. When you drop it here, it’ll be sent as an attachment

Just bear in mind that WhatsApp has increased the size of file transfers, so you can send larger files now.

WhatsApp becomes a little bit more like Telegram READ MORE
WhatsApp tricks for desktop

Make the most out of Whatsapp Web

The quick tricks we showed you above are bound to turn you into a WhatsApp Web wizard and drastically increase how productively you use the web-based WhatsApp utility.

Make sure you don’t miss out on any of our other handy WhatsApp guides:

Russell Kidson

Russell Kidson

I hail from the awe-inspiring beauty of South Africa. Born and raised in Pretoria, I've always had a deep interest in local history, particularly conflicts, architecture, and our country's rich past of being a plaything for European aristocracy. 'Tis an attempt at humor. My interest in history has since translated into hours at a time researching everything from the many reasons the Titanic sank (really, it's a wonder she ever left Belfast) to why Minecraft is such a feat of human technological accomplishment. I am an avid video gamer (Sims 4 definitely counts as video gaming, I checked) and particularly enjoy playing the part of a relatively benign overlord in Minecraft. I enjoy the diverse experiences gaming offers the player. Within the space of a few hours, a player can go from having a career as an interior decorator in Sims, to training as an archer under Niruin in Skyrim. I believe video games have so much more to teach humanity about community, kindness, and loyalty, and I enjoy the opportunity to bring concepts of the like into literary pieces.

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