Whatsapp On Mac Desktop Vs Freechat For Whatsapp

I am at loss of words when I have to describe the awesome-ness of WhatsApp because it’s such an amazing, useful, and simple app. Be it a child or an elderly person, it's easy for everyone to learn this app and start using and that's a big reason why it has become so popular.

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To make it more simple and easy to use, WhatsApp supports a number of shortcuts. While some of them are available on Android and iPhone as well, most of them are for desktop. These shortcuts can be accessed from the keyboard and reduce the number of clicks.

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WhatsApp desktop app gives you a new way to stay in touch anytime and anywhere - whether on your phone or computer at home or work. The desktop app is available for Windows 8, Windows 10 and macOS. ‎Read reviews, compare customer ratings, see screenshots, and learn more about WhatsApp Desktop. Download WhatsApp Desktop for macOS 10.10.0 or later and enjoy it on your Mac. ‎With WhatsApp on the desktop, you can seamlessly sync all of your chats to your computer so that you can chat on whatever device is most convenient for you. Download the latest version of FreeChat for WhatsApp for Mac - Desktop chat for WhatsApp. Read 3 user reviews of FreeChat for WhatsApp on MacUpdate.

Without any further ado, let’s get to know these WhatsApp web and desktop shortcuts.

1. Change Focus

Similar to any other webpage or app, pressing the Tab key on both WhatsApp web and desktop changes the focus. It first goes to the search area, then to chat followed by the emoji button and finally the typing area.

2. Focus Emoji Button

Instead of pressing the Tab key thrice, you can directly focus on the emoji button using the Shift + Tab shortcut. When you press these two buttons, a small blue box will highlight the emoji button. Press the Enter key to open the emoji panel.

Then either start typing the name to search for emoji or navigate them with the arrow keys. Again, use the Enter key to add an emoji to your text. Finally, press Esc key to close the emoji panel.

3. Add Emoji Using Colon Shortcut

WhatsApp provides yet another way to add emojis. Instead of opening the emoji panel, you can search for emojis directly using the colon shortcut. When you type the colon : followed by the emoji name, WhatsApp will show related emojis. All you need to do is press the Enter key to insert it. You can navigate between the emojis using the arrow keys on your keyboard.

For instance, if you want to add the mask emoji, type :mask. The results will start showing when you enter two characters at least.

4. Text To Emoji Shortcut

Remember the good old days when we used to type text emojis or smileys like this : ), :* ? Well, the same is available on WhatsApp. When you type characters like these, WhatsApp will automatically convert them to emojis.

Here are some of the smileys that you can use:

5. Search Chats

DesktopWhatsapp on mac desktop vs free chat for whatsapp app

Apart from the Tab key to focus on the search area, you can press the Ctrl + F keys. Once you do that, the blinking cursor will move to that box. You can then start typing your search term.

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6. Text Format

The usual text formatting features of WhatsApp are available on desktop as well. You can change the font, make your text bold or italic using the shortcuts.

Here are the available shortcuts:

1. Put text in asterisks to bold it. For instance, *hello*

2. Place underscore on both sides to italicize the text. For instance, _Guidingtech_

3. Use tilde on both ends to strikethrough your message. Example: ~GT~

4. To change the font, place three backticks on both sides of the text. Example: ```Hey```

Note: The above shortcuts worked on WhatsApp web and desktop apps. The below-mentioned shortcuts are available for WhatsApp Windows and Mac app only. They will not work on WhatsApp web.

7. Start New Chat

In Chrome on Windows PC, if you press the Ctrl + N shortcut, it opens a new window. You can start a new chat in WhatsApp using the same shortcut. On Mac, use Command + N shortcut. When you press these two buttons, the New chat window will appear. Then select the person whom you want to text.

8. Create New Group

Similarly, you can create a new group with the help of Ctrl + Shift + N shortcut. In case of Mac OS, use Command + Shift + N shortcut. You will then be asked to add the group participants.

9. Move Between Chats

If the focus is on the chat thread, you can use the arrow keys to move between them. However, if the focus is somewhere else, use the following two keyboard shortcuts on Windows PC:

1. Ctrl + Shift + ] : Go to next chat

2. Ctrl + Shift + [ : Go to previous chat

On Mac devices, use Command instead of Control i.e. the shortcut will become Command + Shift + ] .

10. Archive Chat

The archive is a nice and quick way to hide chats in WhatsApp. Instead of using the menu button to archive chats, you can use the Ctrl + E shortcut on the Windows app to do so. The same can be accomplished by using Command + E buttons on Mac.

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11. Mute Chat

We all know how annoying some chats can be. What better option than to mute them? You can use the Ctrl + Shift + M shortcut on WhatsApp windows app to mute a particular chat. Just open that particular chat and hit these three buttons. Similarly, use Command + Shift + M on Mac devices.

12. Change Read Status

Sometimes, after reading a message we want to mark it as unread. Normally, you would have to open the menu to do so. However, with the help of the keyboard shortcut, you can do that in just one step. Simply hit Ctrl + Shift + U buttons on your keyboard and the status of the currently opened chat will be changed to unread.

By now, you might know that on Mac OS devices, all you need to do is replace Control by Command button i.e. Command + Shift + U.

13. Delete Chat

In order to delete a chat, you can use the Ctrl + Backspace (Windows) or Command + Backspace (Mac OS) shortcuts.

14. Open Profile Window

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To change your profile picture, name, or about, you can directly open the profile window using the Ctrl + P shortcut (Command + P on Mac OS).

15. Exit App

Finally, to exit the app, you can use the ALT + F4 shortcut. This will close the WhatsApp app on your system. To open the app, you need to launch it again.

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Simplify Things

If you are a regular WhatsApp web user, these WhatsApp shortcuts will make your daily life easy by saving a bunch of clicks. Have fun!


The above article may contain affiliate links which help support Guiding Tech. However, it does not affect our editorial integrity. The content remains unbiased and authentic.Read NextTop 17 New WhatsApp Tips & Tricks on AndroidAlso See#Read other similar WhatsApp posts #shortcuts

Did You Know

WhatsApp is one of the most downloaded Android apps.

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Started in 2009 by Jan Koum and Brian Acton, WhatsApp has taken the world by storm. A widely popular instant messaging service, it boasted over 400 million users by the time Facebook acquired it in 2014 for 19 billion dollars — the highest price paid for any startup up until then.

Today, WhatsApp has over 1.5 billion users and is the most popular messaging app in the world. It supports text messages, images, calls, video, voice notes, group conversations, and much more. The key to WhatsApp's popularity is its ubiquitous availability on any device, whether it's iPhone, Android, Windows, web, and even Nokia.

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Upgrade the way you chat on Mac

Whatsapp On Mac Desktop Vs Freechat For Whatsapp

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Whatsapp On Mac Desktop Vs Free Chat For Whatsapp Download

For a long time, however, people have been confused whether there's a WhatsApp Mac app or not. Read on as we clarify this issue below alongside some tips and tricks for making the most out of your WhatsApp-heavy day.

Is There A WhatsApp Desktop Mac App?

Yes, of course, there is. Facebook released the official WhatsApp Mac app back in 2016 when the service was already hugely popular worldwide. Perhaps it's the app's absence from macOS between 2009 and 2016 that has contributed to the widespread conviction of not being able to download WhatsApp for Mac.

Anyway, to install WhatsApp on your Mac right now:

  1. Go to WhatsApp official website
  2. Navigate to the Download tab
  3. Click download WhatsApp for Mac
  4. Open the file from the Downloads folder and move the icon into Applications
  5. Follow the instructions to read the QR code with your smartphone
  6. You're in!

WhatsApp Desktop Mac app is also available through the official App Store, with all the installation steps being largely the same.

Another way to use WhatsApp on Mac is through the browser. To do that, just navigate to the WhatsApp Web tab on the official WhatsApp website and repeat the steps above once again. WhatsApp for MacBook and web are very similar in their functionality and allow you to send messages, post Statuses, and share attachments. Sadly both versions are somewhat limited, so WhatsApp video call on Mac and web aren't possible as of early 2019.

Another major drawback of WhatsApp for Mac is its inability to add new contacts. As the WhatsApp desktop Mac version is designed to be just simply complementary to your smartphone, and the main user ID is your phone number, you need to have all your contacts saved in your phone before you can start conversations on the WhatsApp Mac app.

Try a better WhatsApp for Mac client

Overall, the default WhatsApp desktop Mac client is not great and feels rather unfinished compared to its full-featured iOS counterpart. The good news is you don't have to use the official WhatsApp Mac app, as the company allows any third-party developer to build their own ideal version.

ChatMate for WhatsApp is a brilliant alternative to the default WhatsApp for MacBook. Similarly constrained in terms of adding new users, it manages to compensate beautifully with forward-thinking features, such as Stealth Mode, that respect your privacy.

Briefly, Stealth Mode turns on a transparency layer and makes the app increasingly see-through, which hides your messages from prying eyes. You can also set your messages to only be shown upon a cursor hover. And on top of that, ChatMate for WhatsApp supports Touch ID and can automatically lock the app after a certain time interval.

To turn on Stealth Mode:

  1. Launch ChatMate for WhatsApp
  2. Navigate to Preferences and then Privacy
  3. Toggle Stealth Mode to On and adjust transparency to the desired level
  4. Optionally check 'Show chat content only on mouse over'

In addition to valuing your privacy, ChatMate for WhatsApp includes a Do Not Disturb mode that mutes notifications when turned on as well as a Dark Mode to ease eye strain, especially if you find yourself using the app a lot at night.

So if you're really keen to use WhatsApp for Mac, ChatMate is a much better choice. Unless WhatsApp is just one of many instant messaging services you're logged into. Then, a messaging aggregator might do the trick.

Consolidate all messaging services into one

Using WhatsApp Mac app wouldn't really be a problem if it would be the only messaging app you needed. But in the time when you're getting constantly pinged from the likes of Slack, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, and Twitter, maintaining separate applications for each service can become a serious drag.

All messengers in one app

Save time switching between WhatsApp and other chats with IM+, a simple messenger aggregator for Mac.

That's exactly where using IM+ can make your life so much more sane. IM+ is a messaging aggregator, letting you combine 18 different messaging services — some even more than once — into a single intuitive app. Through IM+ all services still retain their full functionality, with support for messages, images, and videos.

One of the best differentiating IM+ features is the ability to tag services or accounts as Work or Home, and then easily switch between them so that even with all the messaging services in one you can still maintain your work-life balance.

Be more productive by limiting social media use

When seemingly every app makes constant demands for our attention, it can be hard to concentrate on what actually pays the bills. A five-minute chat with a friend on Facebook, a quick Skype call with mom, a funny GIF on Slack — they all add up to hours of wasted time every day. It's likely that you don't even notice how much time you spend on social media. Because if you'd track it, you'd be horrified.

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Timing is an automatic time and productivity tracker. It works mostly in the background by observing which apps you use and how much time you spend in them. Timing then prepares daily reports that provide a clear reflection on your day and even gives you a productivity score.

You can use Timing for your work too, by creating projects and manually adding tasks to them. That can be done in several ways:

  1. After running Timing in the background for a day, take a look at the Applications and Projects & Tasks panes, and see whether your tasks have been assigned properly so far
  2. If you want to create a new project, simply toggle the Project List by clicking an icon in the top-left corner and press the plus icon
  3. Give it a name and Save Project
  4. To re-assign any task to the correct project simply drag and drop it onto the appropriate name on the list

You can fine-tune Timing even further in Preferences. For example, specify what time the day starts and ends, and whether to track productivity on weekends. In addition, you have the option to integrate your calendar right into Timing, so that you see all the upcoming events right in the app's timeline.

In the end, if you need to use WhatsApp on Mac as your primary communication tool, download a more flexible ChatMate client to make your experience better. Although neither of them offer WhatsApp desktop video calls, so you have to choose another messaging service for that. And if you find yourself constantly switching between different messengers, unite them all under IM+ to avoid mental fatigue. Finally, keep yourself on a productive track by monitoring how much time you spend on all the social apps through Timing and make sure to course-correct when things get out of hand.

Best of all, the apps mentioned above are available to you on a free trial through Setapp, a platform of over 150 useful apps and utilities that strive to improve your Mac experience. Become a Setapp Member and get unlimited access to them all. Now, that's productivity worth mentioning!

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