Introduction

WhatsApp is a popular messaging app. Originally available for smartphones, and accessible through the web, it now offers a WhatsApp desktop app Available from the Microsoft Store.

Reading time: 2 minutes approx.

Downloading and setting up WhatsApp

You require a WhatsApp Account to use WhatsApp for Windows. If you do not have a WhatsApp Account, you must first download and activate WhatsApp on your smartphone. You cannot use WhatsApp for Windows without completing this step.

After creating a WhatsApp Account, you can download and install WhatsApp from the Microsoft Store by doing the following:

1. Open the Microsoft Store.
2. Press CONTROL + E to place focus in the search box.
3. Type "WhatsApp" and press ENTER.
4. TAB to the results list, locate 'WhatsApp', and press ENTER. Note that the results are presented in a grid view, meaning you may need to use the LEFT ARROW or RIGHT ARROW to locate the App.
5. When you press ENTER, the 'WhatsApp' page opens and the focus is on the "Get" button. Press ENTER to activate this button and commence the download and install process.
6. Follow the onscreen instructions.

After installation, to setup WhatsApp on your computer:

1. Open WhatsApp on your smartphone.
2. Tap 'Menu' on Android, or 'Settings' on iPhone.
3. Tap 'Linked devices' and then 'Link a device'.
4. Point your smartphone at your screen to capture the QR code. Note, don't forget to turn off magnification to ensure the code is fully visible on the screen.

Tip: If you have difficulty seeing the QR code, hold your smartphone close to the screen, and then slowly move it away until it captures the QR code.

Once you successfully capture the QR code, the WhatsApp screen changes to show the main interface.

Navigating the WhatsApp interface

The WhatsApp interface has a clean and simple layout that you can navigate using the ARROW KEYS, the TAB key, and SHIFT + TAB key. WhatsApp also includes useful keyboard commands, which are listed at the end of this page.

The WhatsApp layout shows your list of chats on the left side of the screen. The main area of the screen displays a message saying you can send and receive messages without keeping your phone online, and you can use WhatsApp on up to 4 linked devices and 1 phone at the same time.

The bottom of the screen states that the messages are end-to-end encrypted.

On opening a Chat window, the focus is in the compose box, which is situated at the bottom of the screen. The left side of the screen shows your list of Charts. You can quickly switch between Chats by pressing CONTROL + TAB and CONTRL + SHIFT + TAB.

In the Chat window, you can continue to use the ARROW KEYS, the TAB key, and SHIFT + TAB key to navigate the objects, for example, you can press SHIFT + TAB twice to move focus from the compose box to the Messages list, and use the UP ARROW and DOWN ARROW to review the chat history.

As you navigate, you will discover buttons to Add emoji, Add attachment, Search chat, start an Audio call, start a Video call, and find a Conversation information button.

You can also find additional options through the context menu, for example, if you open the context menu (SHIFT + F10) when the focus is on a Chat group, you will find options to Pin, Archive, Clear and Exit group. Similarly, if you are in the message list, and you open the context menu, you will find options such as Reply, Copy, Forward, Reply privately, Delete and Star.

WhatsApp notifications

You will receive notifications when a friend or colleague is contacting you. The notifications appear as pop-up messages (called balloons), which you can interact with or ignore.

By default, SuperNova and Dolphin ScreenReader will announce the notification. When the notification appears, you can press SHIFT + WINDOWS KEY + V to move focus to the notification window. Once the popup message has focus, you can TAB through and choose an option.

Managing a call

After accepting a call, a WhatsApp window appears in the background providing options to manage your call. Options include muting your microphone, switching to video call, and ending the call. When using a keyboard, you may need to use ALT + TAB to give the window focus before you can explore its options with the TAB key.

Hotkey Summary

WhatsApp keyboard commands make using the app more productive. You can find a summary of the key keyboard commands below. To view a full list of keyboard commands, select "Open Settings" and select "Shortcuts". As well as a list of keyboard commands, the "Shortcuts" category also shows commands for popular emojis.