Although messaging apps like Telegram and Signal have become quite popular lately, WhatsApp remains the most widely-used messaging platform globally. The messaging app has released many new features to keep up with the competition, and despite privacy concerns by some users, its user base has continued to rise. If you're a long-time WhatsApp user, chances are you already use the web or desktop version of the app to stay in touch with friends or family on a PC or Mac. But did you know that you can level up your WhatsApp experience on these clients using some handy keyboard shortcuts?
The WhatsApp clients for web and desktop support a wide range of keyboard shortcuts that work on both Windows PCs and Apple Macs. The keyboard shortcuts allow you to archive, delete, pin, or mute chats, mark messages as unread, quickly look up chats, switch between conversations, and much more. Check out the tables below for a quick overview of all the useful shortcuts available.
WhatsApp keyboard shortcuts for Windows PCs
You can use the following WhatsApp keyboard shortcuts on either the web version or the desktop app on a Windows PC:
Action |
WhatsApp for Web |
Windows desktop client |
Mark as read |
Ctrl + Alt + Shift + U |
Ctrl + Shift + U |
Mute |
Ctrl + Alt + Shift + M |
Ctrl + Shift + M |
Archive chat |
Ctrl + Alt + Shift + E |
Ctrl + Shift + E |
Delete chat |
Ctrl + Alt + Backspace |
Ctrl + Shift + D |
Pin chat |
Ctrl + Alt + Shift + P |
Ctrl + Shift + P |
Search |
Ctrl + Alt + / |
Ctrl + F |
Search chat |
Ctrl + Alt + Shift + F |
Ctrl + Shift + F |
New chat |
Ctrl + Alt + N |
Ctrl + N |
Next chat |
Ctrl + Alt + Tab |
Ctrl + Tab |
Previous chat |
Ctrl + Alt + Shift + Tab |
Ctrl + Shift + Tab |
Close chat |
Escape (Esc) |
Escape (Esc) |
New group |
Ctrl + Alt + Shift + N |
Ctrl + Shift + N |
Profile and about |
Ctrl + Alt + P |
Ctrl + P |
Settings |
Ctrl + Alt |
Ctrl + , |
Emoji panel |
Ctrl + Alt + E |
Ctrl + E |
GIF panel |
Ctrl + Alt + G |
Ctrl + G |
Sticker panel |
Ctrl + Alt + S |
Ctrl + S |
Extended search |
Alt + K |
Alt + K |
Lock screen |
Ctrl + Alt + L |
- |
WhatsApp keyboard shortcuts for Mac
On macOS devices, you can use the following WhatsApp keyboard shortcuts to perform a wide range of actions:
Action |
WhatsApp for web |
macOS desktop client |
Mark as read |
Cmd + Ctrl + Shift + U |
Cmd + Shift + U |
Mute |
Cmd + Ctrl + Shift + M |
Cmd + Shift + M |
Archive chat |
Cmd + Ctrl + Shift + E |
Cmd + Shift + E |
Delete chat |
Cmd + Ctrl + Backspace |
Cmd + Shift + D |
Pin chat |
Cmd + Ctrl + Shift + P |
Cmd + Shift + P |
Search |
Cmd + Ctrl + / |
Cmd + F |
Search chat |
Cmd + Ctrl + Shift + F |
Cmd + Shift + F |
New chat |
Cmd + Ctrl + N |
Cmd + N |
Next chat |
Cmd + Ctrl + Tab |
Ctrl + Tab |
Previous chat |
Cmd + Ctrl + Shift + Tab |
Ctrl + Shift + Tab |
Close chat |
Escape (Esc) |
Escape (Esc) |
New group |
Cmd + Ctrl + Shift + N |
Cmd + Shift + N |
Profile and about |
Cmd + Ctrl + P |
Cmd + P |
Settings |
Cmd + Ctrl + , |
Cmd + , |
Emoji panel |
Cmd + Ctrl + E |
Cmd + E |
GIF panel |
Cmd + Ctrl + G |
Cmd + G |
Sticker panel |
Cmd + Ctrl + S |
Cmd + S |
Extended search |
Cmd + K |
Cmd + K |
If you spend a good chunk of your day texting on WhatsApp, we strongly recommend you try out the web and desktop versions of the messaging app on your great laptop, regardless of it's a PC or Mac. Responding to messages with a proper keyboard will be a serious game-changer and allow you to get through your backlog easily. These keyboard shortcuts will make the process even faster, but it may take a while for you to memorize them. It's well worth the effort, though, and we're sure you won't regret it. We hope this helps you make the best use of WhatsApp on a computer!