From the Tech-VI list owner:
I have not yet tried this add-on. You can find the latest version from the Releases page, right after the Assets button. If the Assets button reports that it is collapsed, press space or enter to expand it.
From the Tech-VI list owner:
I have not yet tried this add-on. You can find the latest version from the
Releases page, right after the Assets button. If the Assets button reports that it is collapsed, press space or enter to expand it.
WhatsApp Desktop Enhancer
Author: mrido1
This add-on is a specialized accessibility bridge for the modern WhatsApp Desktop application (available from
the Microsoft Store). It enhances navigation efficiency and fixes interaction issues caused by the application's underlying technology.
Why is this add-on needed?
WhatsApp has gone through several technological shifts on Windows, creating confusion regarding accessibility:
-
Native UWP Era (The Golden Age): Starting as a Beta in November
2021 and releasing globally in August 2022, this native version was the pinnacle of accessibility on Windows. It offered lightning-fast performance and perfect screen reader
support.
-
WebView2 Era (The Regression): The shift began with a Beta in July
2025, and was forced onto stable users between November and December 2025. This update replaced the native engine with a web-hybrid (WebView2), causing significant accessibility
issues (like focus instability and Browse Mode conflicts) that this add-on aims to fix.
The Problem: The
current version often confuses screen readers. NVDA may try to treat it as a webpage (activating Browse Mode), which breaks standard keyboard shortcuts like Ctrl+F or
typing. Focus can also get "stuck" in list items.
The Solution: This add-on forces NVDA to treat WhatsApp like a standard desktop
application by automatically disabling Browse Mode. It also adds custom tools to inspect messages that are otherwise hard to reach.
Native Shortcuts (Highly Recommended)
Because the modern WhatsApp app is designed to be navigated with a keyboard, you should prioritize these built-in shortcuts. They are faster and more reliable than any add-on script.
Chat Management
Shortcut
Action
Ctrl + Shift + U
Mark as unread
Ctrl + Shift + M
Mute
Ctrl + Shift + A
Archive chat
Ctrl + Alt + Shift + P
Pin chat
Ctrl + ]
Next Chat
Ctrl + [
Previous Chat
Ctrl + Shift + N
New Group
Ctrl + Alt + N
New Chat
Escape
Close Chat
Ctrl + Shift + B
Block Chat
Ctrl + Alt + Shift + L
Label chat (Business)
Message & Navigation
Shortcut
Action
Ctrl + Alt + /
Search
Ctrl + Shift + F
Search in Chat
Alt + K
Extended Search
Ctrl + Alt + P
Profile and About
Alt + I
Open Chat Info
Alt + S
Settings
Alt + L
Lock App
Ctrl + 1..9
Open Chat (by position)
Message Actions
Shortcut
Action
Alt + R
Reply
Ctrl + Alt + R
Reply Privately
Ctrl + Alt + D
Forward
Alt + 8
Star Message
Ctrl + Arrow Up
Edit Last Message
Alt + A
Open Attachment Panel
Ctrl + Alt + E
Emoji Panel
Ctrl + Alt + G
GIF Panel
Ctrl + Alt + S
Sticker Panel
Voice Messages (PTT)
Shortcut
Action
Shift + .
Increase Playback Speed
Shift + ,
Decrease Playback Speed
Ctrl + Enter
Send PTT
Alt + P
Pause PTT Recording
Ctrl + Alt + Shift + R
Star PTT Recording
Zoom Control
Shortcut
Action
Ctrl + +
Zoom In
Ctrl + -
Zoom Out
Ctrl + 0
Reset Zoom
Add-on Features
These features supplement the native experience, filling gaps where accessibility is still lacking.
1. Enhanced Message Reading
Sometimes, focusing on a long message in the list is difficult, or NVDA reads it too quickly.
Shortcut
Action
Alt + C
Text Window View: Opens the currently focused message in a separate, dedicated text window. You can use standard arrow keys to read
line-by-line or select text to copy. Press Escape to close.
Control + C
Quick Copy: Copies the text of the focused message bubble directly to the clipboard.
2. Last Spoken Text Review
Since this add-on disables Browse Mode by default to ensure smooth navigation, NVDA's standard review cursor
(which typically relies on the virtual buffer in web content) may not function as expected for reviewing fleeting announcements or toast notifications.
To overcome this limitation, this add-on includes a custom review feature that captures the last thing NVDA spoke, allowing you to check details you might have missed.
Shortcut
Action
NVDA + Left/Right Arrow
Review the last spoken text character by character.
NVDA + Ctrl + Left/Right Arrow
Review the last spoken text word by word.
3. Phone Number Filtering
WhatsApp message list often contain a long list of unsaved phone numbers (e.g., in group chats), which can be verbose and distracting.
This add-on includes a filter that automatically removes these numbers directly from the object's name. This
means the numbers are filtered out from both Speech and Braille, providing a cleaner experience.
Shortcut
Action
Ctrl + Shift + E
Toggle Filter: Instantly enables or disables the phone number filter. You can also configure this preference permanently in the add-on
settings.
4. Smart Usage Hints Filtering
When navigating the chat list, WhatsApp often appends repetitive instructions to every item, such as "For more options, press
left or right arrow key to access context menu" or its translated equivalents. Hearing this on every single chat can be extremely tiresome and slows down navigation significantly.
This add-on automatically detects and silences these usage hints, allowing you to hear only the relevant information
(Chat Name, Message Preview, Time, and Status).
-
How it works: The filter intelligently separates the chat content from the metadata (timestamp) and removes
the long instruction text that follows, while preserving important status updates like "has reaction" or "unread".
-
Configuration: This feature is disabled by default. If you prefer to not hearing these hints, you can unchecked
"Read usage hints while navigating chat list" in the add-on settings panel.
Contributions
If you have suggestions, feature requests, or would like to report a bug, please feel free to contribute:
-
Email: bredgreene5@...
-
GitHub: You can open an issue or submit a Pull Request on the project repository.
About
Accessibility enhancements for new WhatsApp Desktop (WebView2)
Resources
License
From the Tech-VI list owner:
I have not yet tried this add-on. You can find the latest version from the Releases page, right after the Assets button. If the Assets button reports that it is collapsed, press space or enter to expand it.
WhatsApp Desktop Enhancer
Author: mrido1
This add-on is a specialized accessibility bridge for the modern WhatsApp Desktop application (available from the Microsoft Store). It enhances navigation efficiency and fixes interaction issues caused by the application's underlying technology.
Why is this add-on needed?
WhatsApp has gone through several technological shifts on Windows, creating confusion regarding accessibility:
- Native UWP Era (The Golden Age): Starting as a Beta in November 2021 and releasing globally in August 2022, this native version was the pinnacle of accessibility on Windows. It offered lightning-fast performance and perfect screen reader support.
- WebView2 Era (The Regression): The shift began with a Beta in July 2025, and was forced onto stable users between November and December 2025. This update replaced the native engine with a web-hybrid (WebView2), causing significant accessibility issues (like focus instability and Browse Mode conflicts) that this add-on aims to fix.
The Problem: The
current version often confuses screen readers. NVDA may try to treat it as a webpage (activating Browse Mode), which breaks standard keyboard shortcuts like Ctrl+F or
typing. Focus can also get "stuck" in list items.
The Solution: This add-on forces NVDA to treat WhatsApp like a standard desktop application by automatically disabling Browse Mode. It also adds custom tools to inspect messages that are otherwise hard to reach.
Native Shortcuts (Highly Recommended)
Because the modern WhatsApp app is designed to be navigated with a keyboard, you should prioritize these built-in shortcuts. They are faster and more reliable than any add-on script.
Chat Management
|
Shortcut |
Action |
|
|
Mark as unread |
|
|
Mute |
|
|
Archive chat |
|
|
Pin chat |
|
|
Next Chat |
|
|
Previous Chat |
|
|
New Group |
|
|
New Chat |
|
|
Close Chat |
|
|
Block Chat |
|
|
Label chat (Business) |
Message & Navigation
|
Shortcut |
Action |
|
|
Search |
|
|
Search in Chat |
|
|
Extended Search |
|
|
Profile and About |
|
|
Open Chat Info |
|
|
Settings |
|
|
Lock App |
|
|
Open Chat (by position) |
Message Actions
|
Shortcut |
Action |
|
|
Reply |
|
|
Reply Privately |
|
|
Forward |
|
|
Star Message |
|
|
Edit Last Message |
|
|
Open Attachment Panel |
|
|
Emoji Panel |
|
|
GIF Panel |
|
|
Sticker Panel |
Voice Messages (PTT)
|
Shortcut |
Action |
|
|
Increase Playback Speed |
|
|
Decrease Playback Speed |
|
|
Send PTT |
|
|
Pause PTT Recording |
|
|
Star PTT Recording |
Zoom Control
|
Shortcut |
Action |
|
|
Zoom In |
|
|
Zoom Out |
|
|
Reset Zoom |
Add-on Features
These features supplement the native experience, filling gaps where accessibility is still lacking.
1. Enhanced Message Reading
Sometimes, focusing on a long message in the list is difficult, or NVDA reads it too quickly.
|
Shortcut |
Action |
|
|
Text Window View: Opens the currently focused message in a separate, dedicated text window. You can use standard arrow keys to read
line-by-line or select text to copy. Press |
|
|
Quick Copy: Copies the text of the focused message bubble directly to the clipboard. |
2. Last Spoken Text Review
Since this add-on disables Browse Mode by default to ensure smooth navigation, NVDA's standard review cursor (which typically relies on the virtual buffer in web content) may not function as expected for reviewing fleeting announcements or toast notifications.
To overcome this limitation, this add-on includes a custom review feature that captures the last thing NVDA spoke, allowing you to check details you might have missed.
|
Shortcut |
Action |
|
|
Review the last spoken text character by character. |
|
|
Review the last spoken text word by word. |
3. Phone Number Filtering
WhatsApp message list often contain a long list of unsaved phone numbers (e.g., in group chats), which can be verbose and distracting.
This add-on includes a filter that automatically removes these numbers directly from the object's name. This means the numbers are filtered out from both Speech and Braille, providing a cleaner experience.
|
Shortcut |
Action |
|
|
Toggle Filter: Instantly enables or disables the phone number filter. You can also configure this preference permanently in the add-on settings. |
4. Smart Usage Hints Filtering
When navigating the chat list, WhatsApp often appends repetitive instructions to every item, such as "For more options, press left or right arrow key to access context menu" or its translated equivalents. Hearing this on every single chat can be extremely tiresome and slows down navigation significantly.
This add-on automatically detects and silences these usage hints, allowing you to hear only the relevant information (Chat Name, Message Preview, Time, and Status).
- How it works: The filter intelligently separates the chat content from the metadata (timestamp) and removes the long instruction text that follows, while preserving important status updates like "has reaction" or "unread".
- Configuration: This feature is disabled by default. If you prefer to not hearing these hints, you can unchecked "Read usage hints while navigating chat list" in the add-on settings panel.
Contributions
If you have suggestions, feature requests, or would like to report a bug, please feel free to contribute:
- Email: bredgreene5@...
- GitHub: You can open an issue or submit a Pull Request on the project repository.
About
Accessibility enhancements for new WhatsApp Desktop (WebView2)