WhatsApp Web is used widely by many. If you’re working on your PC, it makes communicating fairly easy as it eliminates the need to look at your phone. All you need is a phone and an Internet connection on both your devices. While you may use it all the time, there are ways you can extract the most out of it. For example, using keyboard shortcuts, locking WhatsApp Web, using multiple accounts, etc. So, here are the best WhatsApp Web tips and tricks.
Read: WhatsApp vs Session: Is This the New WhatsApp Alternative?
Best WhatsApp Web Tips and Tricks
1. Search Emojis
Texting is alright, but Emojis add spice to the chats. Rather than writing, I prefer sending a smiley as it’s far emotive. While WhatsApp has a small emoji browser to the left of the chatbox, using the mouse to browse is an extra step which I totally hate. A quicker way is to use the “colon (:)” sign. Hold Shift+: and type the emotion you want the emoji for.
For example, when I type “:smile”, this will open a prompt showing all the matching emojis. You can browse using the arrow key. Choose what you like and hit enter. 
2. Converting Text to Emoji
WhatsApp is not that dumb when it comes to Emojis and there are dozens of them. It also converts emoticons (Text-based signs) to emojis automatically. Here are some common emoticons that we use, (y) = 👍, (n) = 👎, :-) = 🙂, etc. However, if you don’t want those fancy Emojis because you like old school text messages, you can disable this auto conversion with a simple extension. Here’s how.
- Install Tapermonkey extension, which an under script manager.
- Next Head WhatsApp Emoticon Preserver and hit Install
- This will create a new option in the Tapermonkey extension to the right.
- You can click on the extension and enable or disable it according to your use
Note that, there are chances this might not work as intended on few browsers.
3. Multiple WhatsApp Account
If you’re someone who uses two WhatsApp accounts for whatever reasons, you must have faced issues not being able to open 2 WhatsApp instances in your browser. Personally I have a dual SIM phone and I tend to keep both of my accounts active. Here’s how you do it.
- Tap on the top-right menu in Chrome.
- Choose Incognito Window or Ctrl + Shift + N.
- Now open the WhatsApp Web and sign in just like a normal tab.
Alternatively, you can also use Chrome’s Profile Feature. It basically lets you create a fresh independent instance of Chrome. So, now you can open a WhatsApp account under 1 Chrome profile while the other WhatsApp account in another profile. To do that, here are the steps.
- Click on the Profile icon on the top right corner.
- Tap on the Add button to create another Chrome instance. This is just like a fresh Chrome installation.
- Open 1 WhatsApp account in the previous Chrome tab and another one in the new Chrome tab.
4. Keyboard Shortcuts
Shortcuts always come handy and you can master the app by using fewer keystrokes that will save a lot of time. These shortcuts let you quickly open a chat, archive chat, etc. Here are a few shortcuts that will help you a lot.
- Ctrl + Alt+ N : Starts a new chat
- Ctrl + Alt+ Shift + ] : Opens the next chat
- Ctrl + Alt+ Shift + [ : Toggles to previous chat
- Ctrl + Alt+ E : Archive selected chat
- Ctrl + Alt+ Shift + M : Mute chat
- Ctrl + Alt+ Backspace : Delete chat
- Ctrl + Alt+ Shift + U : Mark as unread
- Ctrl + Alt+ Shift + N : Create new group
- Ctrl + Alt+ P : Open profile status
The basic Windows shortcuts such as Ctrl + (-/+) for zoom in and out, copy, paste, undo and redo shortcuts, etc also work on WhatsApp Web.
5. Zapp: WhatsApp Audio Speed and Volume
If you’re someone like me who receives a lot of voice messages, most of which consist of lectures or long voice notes. You must know it’s a hassle to waste so much time on it. Rather, having a YouTube-like feature to enhance the speed is necessarily needed. No worries, Zapp is an extension that works flawlessly and adds audio controls to WhatsApp Web.
To use the Zapp extension, install it and tap the icon after you’ve opened WhatsApp Web. You’ll see two options, speed, and volume. Click on the option you want to modify by using the arrow keys or the mouse scroll.
Get Zapp: WhatsApp Audio Speed and Volume
6. WAToolkit
If you’re a utility freak, you must have already heard of WAToolkit extension. In case you don’t know, it has a bunch of useful tools for power users. First, there is a desktop notification that runs even after you’ve shut the WhatsApp tab. However, this requires you to enable Desktop Notification from WhatsApp Web settings.
Another quirky feature that comes in handy is the Unread Count. You can check the number of unread messages as a pop-up bubble in the extension’s icon. It shows the total number of unread along with message details as you hover over the icon. The app is open-source, so if you’re curious feel free to check the code here.
Get WAToolkit
7. Share to WhatsApp
The sharing of media on WhatsApp mobile is quite easy. You just click on share and select the person you want to send it to. However, sharing on the WhatsApp web works a bit differently. For example, if you’ve to share a webpage, you’ll have to copy it and then share it with the specific user. This isn’t very convenient.
To tackle this you can use the “Share to WhatsApp” extension, which gives you the same mobile option on the web. Now when you open a webpage, just click on the extension. This will open a new window with Recent contacts and other contacts, so you can share it with them straightaway. This way you don’t have to manually copy/paste it.
8. WhatsHide
WhatsApp web is too exposed as compared to the phone. One way you can hide the chat is to archive it on the Web or ask your friends to not text you. But that sounds rude! Another way to hide is to use WhatsHide extension. It lets you make your chat invisible, by adding keywords. For example, If I add “Good Morning” in WhatsHide, It’ll hide all the chats with that keyword even the incoming and unread ones. Similarly, you can hide a chat by adding the user’s name as well.
You can add keywords to the extension by clicking on the extension icon. You can also add a name, a specific word, or phrase as well. As soon as you do that, it makes the chat invisible, even after you receive a new message from that person. You can add as many words you want, and also enable/disable them with a toggle switch. Moreover, if you are concerned that someone might see or change these keywords, you can set a password on it as well.
Get WhatsHide
Closing Words
There are some easy ways you can take full advantage of the WhatsApp Web. If you’re color blind you can change make the message delivery ticks darker and a bit large with Message Status for Color Blind. You can also download the desktop app if you’re a heavy WhatsApp user. Keeping that aside, due to various privacy reasons, I’ve now shifted to Telegram. It has a few drawbacks, like less user base in comparison to WhatsApp, but if that’s not your concern, you should surely check it out. This was my list of Best WhatsApp Web Tips and Extensions. I hope you try them all!
Also Read: How to Schedule WhatsApp Messages on Android and iOS
