WhatsApp Web & Desktop keyboard shortcuts
WhatsApp Web and the WhatsApp desktop apps bring your phone's chats to the computer, where a keyboard makes triaging and replying much faster. WhatsApp ships a deliberately small set of default shortcuts compared to full desktop apps, so this list is shorter than most: it covers every documented default (Ctrl+Alt combinations on WhatsApp Web and Windows, Cmd combinations on the Mac app) rather than padding with invented keys. This cheat sheet covers 27 default shortcuts for Windows and Mac.
Chats
| New chat | Ctrl+Alt+NCmd+N |
| New group | Ctrl+Alt+Shift+NCmd+Shift+N |
| Archive chat | Ctrl+Alt+Shift+ECmd+E |
| Pin chat | Ctrl+Alt+Shift+Pno default |
| Mute chat | Ctrl+Alt+Shift+MCmd+Shift+M |
| Mark chat as unread | Ctrl+Alt+Shift+UCmd+Shift+U |
| Delete chat | Ctrl+Alt+Backspaceno default |
Navigation & Search
| Next chat | Ctrl+Alt+Tabno default |
| Previous chat | Ctrl+Alt+Shift+Tabno default |
| Search chat list | Ctrl+Alt+/Cmd+F |
| Search within current chat | Ctrl+Alt+Shift+Fno default |
| Close chat / dismiss panel | EscapeEscape |
| Open settings | Ctrl+Alt+,Cmd+, |
| Open profile and about | Ctrl+Alt+Pno default |
Composing Messages
| Send message | EnterEnter |
| New line in message | Shift+EnterShift+Enter |
| Open emoji panel | Ctrl+Alt+Eno default |
| Open GIF panel | Ctrl+Alt+Gno default |
| Open sticker panel | Ctrl+Alt+Sno default |
| Paste image or file from clipboard | Ctrl+VCmd+V |
Text Editing in the Composer
| Select all text | Ctrl+ACmd+A |
| Copy | Ctrl+CCmd+C |
| Cut | Ctrl+XCmd+X |
| Undo typing | Ctrl+ZCmd+Z |
| Redo typing | Ctrl+Shift+ZCmd+Shift+Z |
App Window (Mac)
| Close window | no defaultCmd+W |
| Quit WhatsApp | no defaultCmd+Q |
Put your top WhatsApp Web & Desktop shortcuts on real keys
The five WhatsApp Web & Desktop actions most worth binding to a physical macropad key:
Ctrl+Alt+Shift+ECmd+E Archive chat Inbox-zero triage of a busy chat list is one archive press after another.
Ctrl+Alt+Shift+UCmd+Shift+U Mark chat as unread The fastest way to flag a message to deal with later while skimming.
Ctrl+Alt+Tabno default Next chat Cycling through unread conversations without touching the mouse.
Ctrl+Alt+/Cmd+F Search chat list Jumping to any contact by name is the core navigation action in WhatsApp.
Ctrl+Alt+Shift+MCmd+Shift+M Mute chat One-press silencing of noisy groups the moment they start buzzing.
I hand-build small-batch programmable macropads (QMK/VIA) in Barcelona. One press, any shortcut, any app.
WhatsApp Web & Desktop shortcut FAQs
Why does WhatsApp Web use Ctrl+Alt for its shortcuts?
Because it runs inside a browser, plain Ctrl combinations like Ctrl+N would trigger browser actions. WhatsApp adds Alt to avoid clashes, so most Web shortcuts are Ctrl+Alt plus a letter.
How do I search my chats on WhatsApp Web with the keyboard?
Press Ctrl+Alt+/ to jump to the chat list search box. On the Mac desktop app press Cmd+F. To search inside the open conversation on Web, use Ctrl+Alt+Shift+F.
How do I write multiple lines in a WhatsApp message on desktop?
Press Shift+Enter to insert a line break. Enter on its own always sends the message.
Can I format text in WhatsApp with keyboard shortcuts?
Formatting is done with markup rather than key combos: wrap text in *asterisks* for bold, _underscores_ for italic, ~tildes~ for strikethrough, and triple backticks for monospace.
Are WhatsApp Web and WhatsApp Desktop shortcuts the same?
Mostly. The Windows desktop app follows the Web set (Ctrl+Alt combinations), while the Mac app uses simpler Cmd shortcuts like Cmd+N for a new chat and Cmd+E to archive.