DEV Community: chanoch kamelhar

Primeira pasta no WhatsApp Web em um passo: o novo "Primeiros passos" do WA Folders 1.3.5

chanoch kamelhar — Mon, 19 Oct 2026 12:21:33 +0000

Eu faço o WA Folders, uma extensão do Chrome que coloca pastas, busca e exportação no WhatsApp Web. A versão 1.3.5 mudou o primeiro minuto de uso: quem instala agora começa sem pastas prontas e vê um cartão chamado Primeiros passos no painel, que cria a primeira pasta com um nome e um clique. Este post mostra esse cartão e depois o básico de pastas, busca e exportação.

Se você quer o passo a passo completo de organização (abas, regras, notas e lembretes), escrevi antes sobre isso: Como organizar as conversas do WhatsApp Web em pastas, no computador.

Três avisos rápidos. O WA Folders funciona só no WhatsApp Web (web.whatsapp.com), no Chrome do computador. As pastas ficam no seu navegador e não aparecem no celular. E a extensão não tem vínculo com o WhatsApp nem com a Meta.

O cartão Primeiros passos

Depois de instalar, abra o WhatsApp Web e espere as conversas carregarem. O painel do WA Folders aparece com o cartão Primeiros passos · 0/3 no topo. Ele lista três etapas:

Crie uma pasta. Escolha um nome e pressione Adicionar.
Organize uma conversa. Abra uma conversa e pressione Adicionar conversa.
Experimente buscar ou exportar. Busque uma palavra e abra um resultado, ou exporte a conversa aberta.

Para a primeira etapa, há uma caixa Nome da pasta e o botão Adicionar. Digite o nome que quiser (até 24 caracteres) e aperte Adicionar ou Enter. Se não quiser pensar em nome, toque em Família, Trabalho ou Clientes logo abaixo. O botão só preenche a caixa com aquele nome, e a pasta é criada quando você aperta Adicionar. Assim dá para trocar "Clientes" por "Clientes 2026" antes de confirmar.

O cartão em português, com a caixa Nome da pasta e os atalhos Família, Trabalho e Clientes. Nesta captura a etapa 3 já estava feita, por isso aparece riscada e o contador mostra 1/3.

Cada etapa concluída fica riscada e o contador sobe. Se você já sabe usar, Dispensar fecha o cartão. Quem atualizou de uma versão anterior mantém as pastas e conversas que já tinha.

Pastas

Com a primeira pasta criada, abra uma conversa e aperte Adicionar conversa na pasta certa, na seção Pastas do painel. Uma conversa pode estar em mais de uma pasta. Para criar outras, use a caixa Nome da nova pasta e o botão Adicionar.

As pastas viram abas acima da lista de conversas do WhatsApp. Clique numa aba e a lista mostra só as conversas daquela pasta. Clique em Todas para voltar à lista normal.

Abas de pastas em um WhatsApp de demonstração, com contatos fictícios. Esta captura está com a interface em inglês (Family, Work, Clients); em português as abas mostram os nomes que você escolheu.

Na seção Visões inteligentes, Sem pasta lista as conversas que você abriu desde a instalação e que ainda não estão em nenhuma pasta. Serve para achar o que falta organizar.

Busca

A caixa Buscar conversas e notas procura no texto das conversas que você já abriu com o WA Folders instalado e nas suas notas privadas. O índice é montado à medida que você abre as conversas e fica no armazenamento local do Chrome. Ao lado da caixa, dá para escolher entre Todas as conversas e uma pasta específica, ou filtrar por Notas e Links. Clique num resultado e a conversa abre.

Se uma conversa antiga não aparece na busca, abra-a uma vez para que ela entre no índice.

Exportação

Com uma conversa aberta, o painel mostra Exportar · 0/3 hoje · mensagens carregadas na tela e quatro formatos: HTML, CSV, Markdown e JSON. O arquivo traz as mensagens que estão carregadas na tela naquele momento, então role a conversa para cima antes se quiser incluir mensagens mais antigas. O aviso depois da exportação diz quantas mensagens entraram.

Plano grátis

O plano grátis não tem prazo e inclui 5 pastas, 5 resultados de busca e 3 exportações por dia, entre outros limites. O popup da extensão mostra quanto você já usou. O Pro é um pagamento único de US$ 4,99.

O popup em português com Plano Grátis, Pastas usadas 0 / 5 e Exportações hoje 1 / 3.

O painel termina com "Só local. Sem envio em massa." A extensão não manda mensagens por você, e pastas, notas e índice de busca ficam no seu computador.

Se quiser testar, a página em português na Chrome Web Store é esta: WA Folders na Chrome Web Store. Se o cartão Primeiros passos travar em alguma etapa, ou algum texto estiver confuso, me conta nos comentários.

Como deixar o Claude ou o Cursor ler suas pastas do WhatsApp Web (no seu PC, via MCP)

chanoch kamelhar — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 18:19:45 +0000

Eu queria perguntar ao Claude "o que está pendente com meus clientes?" e ter a resposta direto do WhatsApp, onde essas conversas estão. Por isso o WA Folders 1.3.1 ganhou conexão MCP: seu agente de IA lista, busca e resume as pastas do WhatsApp Web que você liberar, e só elas.

O que você precisa

Chrome com o WhatsApp Web aberto
O WA Folders, da Chrome Web Store
Node.js 18 ou mais novo
Um app com MCP: Claude Desktop, Cursor, Codex ou outro

Passo a passo

Baixe a ponte do agente em https://wafolders.com/pt-br/agente-de-ia/, descompacte e rode install-windows.ps1 (Windows) ou bash install-mac-linux.sh (Mac).
Adicione no seu app o servidor MCP que o instalador mostra. No Claude Desktop fica assim: {"mcpServers":{"wa-folders":{"command":"node","args":["<caminho>/wa-folders-agent.js"]}}}.
Abra as opções do WA Folders, vá em AI agent access (vem desligado), ligue o acesso e marque as pastas que o agente pode ver.
Pergunte: "Resume minha conversa com a Ana" ou "O que tem na minha pasta Clientes?"

O que o agente faz e não faz

Lista, busca e resume as conversas das pastas liberadas.
Cada pasta liberada pode virar um resumo curto que o agente anexa, então ele já chega com o contexto.
Nunca envia mensagem no WhatsApp e não vê pastas que você não marcou.
Não existe servidor do WA Folders: a extensão e a ponte conversam por uma conexão local no seu computador. Se você adicionar sua própria chave de IA, só a conversa em que você clicar vai para o provedor que você escolheu.
Você corta o acesso a qualquer momento em Revoke all agent access.

Preço

Grátis pra testar. O Pro custa US$ 4,99 uma vez só (pagamento único), sem assinatura.

Guia: https://wafolders.com/pt-br/agente-de-ia/?utm_source=devto&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=ptbr_ai_agent_howto
Chrome Web Store: https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/hahfpdlfieloofgjhanljbbnakinfhil?hl=pt-BR&utm_source=devto&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=ptbr_ai_agent_howto

Let Claude or Cursor read your WhatsApp Web folders (locally, over MCP)

chanoch kamelhar — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 18:19:29 +0000

I wanted to ask Claude "what's still open with my clients?" and get an answer from WhatsApp, where those conversations live. So WA Folders 1.3 added an MCP connection: your AI agent can read the WhatsApp Web folders you allow, and nothing else.

What you need

Chrome with WhatsApp Web open
WA Folders from the Chrome Web Store
Node.js 18 or newer
An MCP app: Claude Desktop, Cursor, Codex, or any other

Steps

Download the agent bridge from https://wafolders.com/ai-agent/, unzip it and run install-windows.ps1 (Windows) or bash install-mac-linux.sh (Mac).
Add the MCP server the installer prints to your agent app. In Claude Desktop it looks like {"mcpServers":{"wa-folders":{"command":"node","args":["<path>/wa-folders-agent.js"]}}}.
Open the WA Folders options page, find AI agent access (off by default), tick Allow AI agent access and tick the folders the agent can see.
Ask something: "Summarize my chat with Ana" or "What's waiting on a reply in Clients?"

What the agent can and can't do

It can search and summarize chats in allowed folders.
If you tick the extra box, it can move chats between your ticked folders and set reminders.
It never sends a WhatsApp message.
Everything runs on your computer. There is no WA Folders server and nothing goes to the cloud from the extension.
Revoke all agent access with one click in the same panel.

Price

Free to try. Pro is $4.99 once, no subscription.

Setup guide: https://wafolders.com/ai-agent/?utm_source=devto&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=ai_agent_howto
Chrome Web Store: https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/hahfpdlfieloofgjhanljbbnakinfhil?utm_source=devto&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=ai_agent_howto

Rodando Whisper no navegador para transcrever áudios do WhatsApp Web, sem servidor

chanoch kamelhar — Wed, 14 Oct 2026 12:19:39 +0000

Eu mantenho o WA Folders, uma extensão do Chrome para o WhatsApp Web (pastas, lembretes, busca, exportação). Na versão 1.2.6, que entrou na Chrome Web Store no dia 8 de outubro, coloquei um botão Transcrever embaixo das mensagens de voz. A regra era não ter servidor: o áudio não podia sair do computador da pessoa, a não ser que ela escolhesse usar a própria chave de API. Este post conta como ficou e o que deu errado no caminho.

A arquitetura

Motor: Whisper via transformers.js, com ONNX Runtime em WebAssembly. Nada de WebGPU por enquanto.
Onde roda: num documento offscreen da extensão (chrome.offscreen, motivo WORKERS), com a inferência num Worker. Testei outras opções antes. O service worker não cria Workers nem decodifica áudio com a API de áudio do DOM. Um iframe da extensão dentro da página do WhatsApp não fica com isolamento de origem cruzada, então não tem threads. O offscreen serve todas as abas do WhatsApp com uma instância do modelo e sobrevive a um reload da página.
Manifest: a CSP das páginas da extensão precisa de 'wasm-unsafe-eval', senão o WebAssembly é recusado. Coloquei também COOP same-origin e COEP require-corp, para o offscreen ficar com crossOriginIsolated: true e o ONNX Runtime poder usar threads. A permissão offscreen não mostra aviso para o usuário, então quem já tinha a extensão não precisou aprovar nada de novo.
Ciclo de vida: o documento offscreen só é criado no primeiro clique em Transcrever, e o modelo é descarregado depois de alguns minutos sem uso, para devolver a memória.

O modelo e o download

São dois modelos quantizados (q8):

Opção na interface	Modelo	Tamanho
Preciso (padrão)	whisper-small	251,8 MB
Leve	whisper-base	79,7 MB

No primeiro uso, antes de baixar qualquer coisa, a extensão mostra o tamanho e pergunta: "Baixar e transcrever", "Usar o Leve (80 MB)" ou "Cancelar". Muita gente no Brasil usa internet móvel ou plano limitado, e baixar 250 MB sem avisar seria falta de educação.

Os arquivos vêm do Hugging Face, fixados num commit (revision) específico, e cada arquivo tem o SHA-256 conferido depois do download. Os arquivos em cache são conferidos de novo uma vez por sessão. O Hugging Face não está nas host_permissions. Os pesos são carregados como dados, nunca como código, o que importa para a regra do Manifest V3 que proíbe código remoto.

O que deu errado

1. O chunk_length_s: 30 do pipeline não serviu. Com áudios mais longos, o base entrava em loop repetindo frases, e o small pulava pedaços de um áudio de 72 segundos. Troquei por segmentação própria: detecto as regiões com fala, transcrevo só elas, com 0,25 s de folga e janelas de no máximo 28 s.

2. O Whisper inventa texto no silêncio. Num áudio só com silêncio ou ruído, o base escreveu frases inteiras e o small devolveu coisas como [Música]. Quem já viu legenda automática conhece o famoso "Legendas pela comunidade Amara.org". A proteção ficou assim: um limiar adaptativo, max(−50 dBFS, p10 + 12 dB). Se tiver menos de 0,3 s de fala, a extensão mostra "Nenhuma fala detectada" e não conta no limite diário. Janelas que só têm texto entre colchetes ou parênteses são descartadas, e tem uma lista de frases de crédito conhecidas. Por segurança, tem também uma checagem de loop: se mais de 35% dos trigramas se repetem, roda de novo com repetition_penalty 1.2 e no_repeat_ngram_size 4.

3. Pegar o áudio sem tocar a mensagem. O WhatsApp Web descriptografa a mensagem de voz e cria um blob audio/ogg antes de alguém apertar play. Um script no MAIN world guarda as referências desses blobs (no máximo 20, 20 MB e 15 minutos, e nada sai da página). No clique, ele escolhe o blob cuja duração no cabeçalho Ogg bate com a duração mostrada no balão, e só usa se a correspondência for única. Quando não dá, o plano B é clicar no play do próprio WhatsApp com o som cortado. Num teste real, o play() do WhatsApp chegou 6 ms depois do meu pause(), e restaurar o volume 400 ms depois fez o áudio tocar inteiro com som. Agora todo play() daquele áudio fica mudo, pausado e rebobinado até 3 s depois da captura, e o volume só volta com o áudio parado. O efeito colateral que não dá para evitar: o WhatsApp pode marcar a mensagem como reproduzida, e a extensão avisa isso antes.

4. Português de verdade é mais difícil que benchmark. Nos áudios de teste do FLEURS em português, o small errou bem menos palavras que o base, por isso ele é o padrão. Mas mensagem de WhatsApp tem ruído, gíria, gente falando rápido e compressão Opus. Na prática erra nomes e uma palavra ou outra, e a interface tem um botão "Transcrever de novo".

Tradução, já que estava ali

A mesma versão traduz mensagens entre português, inglês e espanhol, com a Translator API e a LanguageDetector API que vêm no Chrome. Elas rodam no computador. Duas coisas me pegaram:

No primeiro uso num perfil novo, o Translator.create() quase sempre falhava com NotSupportedError enquanto o Chrome baixava a biblioteca do tradutor, cerca de 29 MB (16 de 18 perfis nos meus testes). A interface trata isso como "preparando o tradutor, clique de novo em alguns segundos", e não como erro.
Às vezes o tradutor devolve uma frase pela metade, com parte ainda no idioma original. A extensão detecta isso e tenta de novo até três vezes, a última com um tradutor novo. Ficou mais raro, mas ainda acontece.

Para traduzir o rascunho, o texto traduzido entra na caixa de mensagem do WhatsApp, que usa o editor Lexical. Escrever direto no DOM não funciona, porque o Lexical desfaz. A solução foi selecionar tudo e colar pelo caminho que o próprio editor trata, e depois conferir o resultado. O botão Desfazer usa o mesmo caminho e devolve o texto original exatamente como estava. A extensão nunca aperta Enter: a pessoa confere e envia.

Limites e o que falta

Testei no Linux e num Chrome real com o WhatsApp Web. No Windows e no Mac, que é onde está a maioria dos usuários, ainda não medi nada.
Mensagens com mais de 15 minutos não são transcritas.
O plano grátis tem 5 transcrições e 20 traduções por dia. O Pro não tem limite.

Se quiser testar ou olhar o comportamento: https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/hahfpdlfieloofgjhanljbbnakinfhil?hl=pt-BR&utm_source=devto&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=ptbr-whisper

Eu sou o autor da extensão. Ela não tem conta, não tem servidor nosso e nunca envia mensagens. Se alguém já rodou Whisper no navegador com WebGPU em máquina modesta, queria saber como foi. É o próximo teste que quero fazer.

Como organizar as conversas do WhatsApp Web em pastas, no computador

chanoch kamelhar — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 17:04:18 +0000

Quem usa o WhatsApp Web o dia inteiro conhece a cena: a lista de conversas vira uma coluna comprida com cliente, família, grupo da escola, fornecedor e três pessoas que ainda esperam sua resposta. Este post mostra como eu separo essa coluna em pastas no computador, com o WA Folders, uma extensão do Chrome que eu mantenho.

Antes de tudo, três avisos. O WA Folders só funciona no WhatsApp Web (web.whatsapp.com) no Chrome, no computador. Não funciona no app do celular nem no app de computador. As pastas ficam no seu navegador e não aparecem no celular. E ele não tem vínculo com o WhatsApp nem com a Meta.

O WhatsApp também tem as Listas dentro dos apps. Se um filtro resolve o seu caso, comece por elas. O resto deste post é para quando você quer pastas em abas, notas por conversa e lembretes.

Configuração, uns dois minutos

Instale o WA Folders pela Chrome Web Store (link no fim do post) e clique em Adicionar ao Chrome.
Abra https://web.whatsapp.com e espere as conversas carregarem. O painel do WA Folders aparece na área da conversa, então a lista de conversas e a busca do WhatsApp continuam clicáveis. Em janela estreita, o painel vira uma abinha que você abre com um clique.
Você já começa com três pastas: Família, Trabalho e Clientes. Se quiser outro nome, clique no lápis (✎) ao lado da pasta. Para criar uma pasta nova, escreva o nome em "Nome da nova pasta" e aperte Adicionar.
Abra uma conversa e, no painel, aperte Adicionar conversa na pasta certa. O botão passa a dizer Remover, e um clique tira a conversa de lá. Uma conversa pode estar em mais de uma pasta.

Na primeira vez, com conversas na tela e nada arquivado, o painel pode perguntar "Organizar algumas conversas agora?" e sugerir pastas a partir dos nomes que estão na tela. Nada é arquivado até você apertar Adicionar, e dá para desmarcar o que não quiser ou apertar Agora não.

Usando as abas

Suas pastas aparecem como abas acima da lista de conversas do WhatsApp. Clique numa aba e você vê só as conversas daquela pasta, cada uma com marcadores pequenos:

↩ quando a pessoa escreveu por último e você ainda não respondeu
❓ quando a última mensagem faz uma pergunta para você
⏳ quando você escreveu por último e está esperando
⏰ quando um lembrete venceu
📝 quando a conversa tem nota privada

Clique numa conversa e ela abre. Clique em Todas e a lista normal do WhatsApp volta.

Para achar o que ainda não foi arquivado, use a visão Sem pasta no painel. Ela lista as conversas que você abriu desde a instalação e que não estão em nenhuma pasta. E o atalho Ctrl+K abre a paleta de comandos, onde você digita o nome de uma conversa ou uma ação, como "Adicionar esta conversa a Clientes".

Arquivar sozinho

Em Configurações, em Regras de arquivamento automático, você aponta uma regra para uma pasta. A regra pode casar com "O nome da conversa contém", "O nome da conversa começa com", "O número de telefone começa com" (por exemplo +55) ou "Todo grupo". Ela arquiva as conversas que o WA Folders vê na lista ou quando você as abre. Se você tirar uma conversa da pasta à mão, a regra não a coloca de volta.

Nota e lembrete na conversa

Com uma conversa aberta, a seção Esta conversa do painel tem uma nota privada ("João deve R$ 40", "leitura do medidor até dia 5"). A nota fica só no seu computador e nunca vai para a outra pessoa.

Logo abaixo ficam os botões de lembrete: 1 hora, 3 horas, amanhã às 9:00, segunda às 9:00, ou uma data à sua escolha. Até a hora marcada, a conversa espera em Vencidos. Em conversa individual em que você mandou a última mensagem, também dá para escolher "Me lembre se não responderem" (em 1 ou 3 dias). Se a pessoa responde antes, o lembrete some sozinho. Se não, a conversa volta em Vencidos, com um número no ícone da extensão.

Limites do plano grátis

O plano grátis não tem prazo e inclui 5 pastas, 5 resultados de busca e 3 exportações por dia, entre outros limites. Quando você chega a um deles, o painel avisa. O Pro não tem limites de plano, e dá para testar o Pro por 7 dias dentro da extensão, sem cartão. Os detalhes do Pro estão na página do site em português: https://chumzygood.github.io/wa-folders/pt-br/

Perguntas rápidas

As pastas aparecem no celular?
Não. Elas ficam no Chrome do computador onde você as criou. O Pro sincroniza a configuração das pastas entre os seus outros navegadores Chrome, mas não com o celular.

Ele manda mensagem por mim?
Nunca. Não aperta Enviar, não tem envio em massa nem resposta automática. As respostas rápidas vão para a caixa de mensagem e quem aperta Enter é você.

Meus dados vão para algum servidor?
Pastas, notas, lembretes e o índice de busca ficam no armazenamento local do Chrome, no seu computador. Não existe conta nem servidor do WA Folders, e não há análise de uso. Recursos opcionais, como usar a sua própria chave de IA, mandam só o que você pedir ao provedor que escolheu.

E se o WhatsApp mudar a página?
O painel avisa e oferece "Copiar diagnóstico", um relatório que diz quais partes da página foram encontradas, sem nomes de conversa nem mensagens.

Se quiser testar: https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/hahfpdlfieloofgjhanljbbnakinfhil?hl=pt-BR&utm_source=devto&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=ptbr-pastas

Eu sou o autor da extensão. Se faltar alguma coisa na sua rotina, ou algo aqui estiver confuso, me conta nos comentários.

How to transcribe WhatsApp Web voice notes on your computer

chanoch kamelhar — Mon, 12 Oct 2026 16:57:12 +0000

Someone sends a two-minute voice note while you're on a call, or in an office where you can't play it out loud, or you'll need to find "the address" in it later. WhatsApp has voice message transcripts, but in the phone apps. As of late September 2026 they weren't available in WhatsApp Web or the desktop app. This post covers the phone route first, then a way to transcribe voice notes in Chrome on your computer.

Option 1: Voice message transcripts on your phone

WhatsApp introduced them in November 2024 (WhatsApp blog). The transcript is made on your phone. WhatsApp's help page "How to turn voice message transcripts on or off" gives the steps:

Go to WhatsApp Settings and tap Chats.
Turn on Voice Message Transcripts.
Tap Choose language and pick the language most of your voice messages are in.
Tap Set up now or Wait for Wi-Fi. The phone downloads the language files.
To read one, tap and hold a voice message, then tap Transcribe.

Transcripts are off by default, and only you see them. The sender doesn't.

Option 2: Transcribe in WhatsApp Web with WA Folders

I built WA Folders, a Chrome extension that runs only on https://web.whatsapp.com. Version 1.2.9 can turn a voice note into text when you click. It doesn't work in the phone app or the desktop app, it never sends messages, and it isn't affiliated with WhatsApp or Meta.

By default the speech model (OpenAI's open Whisper model, run with transformers.js) runs on your computer. Nothing leaves your browser, and it can never send a message.

Steps

Install WA Folders: https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/hahfpdlfieloofgjhanljbbnakinfhil?utm_source=devto&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=howto7
Open https://web.whatsapp.com and open a chat with a voice note.
Click Transcribe under the voice note.
The first time, a box explains the download (next section). Pick a model.
"Transcribing…" shows while it works. Then the text appears under the voice note, marked "Transcribed on this computer".

That's a short Portuguese test clip I sent to my own "Message yourself" chat. Read the transcript closely and you'll find a word that's off. Speech models get names, slang and noisy audio wrong sometimes, so play the note if a detail matters. Re-transcribe runs it again.

The first time: the model download

Before anything downloads, WA Folders shows what it's about to fetch:

First use downloads the speech model: Accurate, about 252 MB, from Hugging Face. No chat audio is sent with that download.
On a metered connection or a low-RAM computer, pick Light (80 MB).
To get the audio, WhatsApp may show this voice note as played.

Download and transcribe gets Accurate (whisper-small, about 252 MB), Use Light (80 MB) gets whisper-base, and Cancel downloads nothing. You can switch later in Settings → Voice notes. The model downloads once and stays in your browser. In 1.2.6 the WA Folders panel could cover part of that box on a small window. That's fixed in 1.2.7: the box now sits in front of the panel.

Things to know

The note may show as played. To get the audio, WA Folders may play the voice note muted for a moment, so the sender can see it as played.
Languages. Pick the language your voice notes are in under Settings → Voice notes → Language: Portuguese (the default), English or Spanish.
Silence. If a note has no speech, it says "No speech detected" instead of inventing text.
Length. Notes longer than 15 minutes aren't transcribed.
Transcripts stay on this device. They're saved in your browser, so the next time you open the chat the text is still there. They show up in WA Folders search and in chat exports.
Translate it. If the transcript is in Portuguese, English or Spanish, click Translate under it to read it in one of the other two. Translate WhatsApp Web messages (Portuguese, English, Spanish) on your computer explains how translation works.

Your own API key instead

If you'd rather not download a model, Settings → Voice notes has "My own API key" for OpenAI or Google Gemini. Then each click sends that one note's audio from your browser to the provider you chose, never to WA Folders, and the result is marked "Transcribed with your API key". The provider bills you for it. With the default setting, no audio leaves your computer.

Free and Pro

The free plan includes 5 transcriptions a day, counted on your computer and reset at local midnight. Only successful new transcripts count, so opening a saved one again is free. Pro has no daily limit. Free plan included; Pro is a one-time unlock, see https://wafolders.com.

Which one to use

Use the phone's transcripts when you're on the phone. Use WA Folders when you're working in WhatsApp Web and want the text next to the chat, searchable later, or translated.

FAQ

Can WhatsApp Web transcribe voice messages?
Not as of late September 2026. WhatsApp's transcripts are in the Android and iPhone apps.

Does the sender know I transcribed their voice note?
WA Folders sends nothing. The one visible side effect is that WhatsApp may mark the note as played, because the audio has to be read.

Does the audio go to a server?
Not with the default setting. The model runs in your browser after a one-time download from Hugging Face, and that download carries no chat audio. Audio only leaves your browser if you choose your own API key and click Transcribe.

Does it transcribe automatically?
No. Only the voice note you click.

More WA Folders how-tos: How to make folders in WhatsApp Web, How to search WhatsApp Web messages, and why some don't show up (transcripts show up there too) and How to export a WhatsApp Web chat, and what ends up in the file.

If it saves you from replaying voice notes, a rating on the Chrome Web Store helps other people find it.

Translate WhatsApp Web messages (Portuguese, English, Spanish) on your computer

chanoch kamelhar — Fri, 09 Oct 2026 15:03:24 +0000

A customer writes in Portuguese, a supplier answers in Spanish, and you're on https://web.whatsapp.com with a reply half typed in English. WhatsApp added message translation to its Android and iPhone apps in September 2025 (Meta's announcement). As of late September 2026, it wasn't available in WhatsApp Web or the desktop app. This post covers the phone route first, then a way to do it in Chrome on your computer.

Option 1: Translate on your phone

Meta's announcement describes it: long-press a message, tap Translate, choose the languages, and download the language so it's saved for next time. Translation happens on the phone. Android started with six languages (English, Spanish, Hindi, Portuguese, Russian and Arabic) and iPhone with 19 or more. That works when the phone is in your hand. It doesn't help with the chat open on your computer, and it doesn't touch the reply you're typing there.

Option 2: Translate in WhatsApp Web with WA Folders

I built WA Folders, a Chrome extension that runs only on https://web.whatsapp.com. Version 1.2.6 added translation between Portuguese, English and Spanish. Those are the only three languages it handles. It translates one message at a time when you click, never sends anything, and isn't affiliated with WhatsApp or Meta.

It uses Chrome's built-in translator, which runs on your computer. Nothing leaves your browser, and it can never send a message.

Translate a message

Install WA Folders: https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/hahfpdlfieloofgjhanljbbnakinfhil?utm_source=devto&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=howto6
Open https://web.whatsapp.com and open a chat.
Point at a message in Portuguese, English or Spanish. A Translate button appears next to it.
Click it. The translation shows under the message with the language it came from, for example "From Portuguese · change · Translated on this computer".

If WA Folders guessed the source language wrong (short messages like "ok" or "kkkk vlw" are hard to guess), click change and pick the right one. If the message is in another language, it tells you it only translates Portuguese, English and Spanish.

For these screenshots I sent three test messages to my own "Message yourself" chat and translated each into another language:

You choose the language messages get translated into in WA Folders Settings → Translation. By default it's Chrome's language.

The first time

Chrome has to fetch its translator once. The panel says "Chrome is getting its translator ready on this computer (about 30 MB, plus about 80 MB per language). Click Translate again in a few seconds." After that, each language pair is on your computer. Chrome's translator needs a recent desktop Chrome. If it isn't available in your browser, WA Folders can use your own OpenAI or Google Gemini key instead, and it asks you once before any text goes to that provider. That fallback is off unless you've saved a key.

Translate your reply before you send it

Type your reply in the message box as usual.
Click Translate draft, which shows just above the right end of the message box.
Pick the language you wrote in (From) and the language you want (Translate to).

The translation replaces your text in the box. WA Folders doesn't send it. You read it, fix it if you want, and press Enter yourself. A small "Translated to English · Undo" line stays above the box.

Click Undo and your original text comes back exactly as you typed it. Once the box is empty, the button goes away.

What it keeps and what it doesn't

Translations show on screen only. They aren't saved, searched or exported.
It only translates what you click. There's no setting that translates a whole chat or every new message.
Chrome's translator sometimes leaves part of a sentence in the original language. WA Folders checks for that and tries again, up to three times, but it can still happen. Read a translation before you rely on it for anything important.

Free and Pro

The free plan includes 20 translations a day, counted on your computer and reset at local midnight. Only new translations count. Pro has no daily limit. Free plan included; Pro is a one-time unlock, see https://wafolders.com.

Which one to use

Use the phone when the chat is already open there. Use WA Folders when you're working in WhatsApp Web on a computer, and especially when you want to write your reply in your own language and send it in theirs.

FAQ

Does WhatsApp Web have a translate button?
Not as of late September 2026. WhatsApp's message translation is in the Android and iPhone apps.

Does the other person see that I translated their message?
No. The translation only appears in your browser. Nothing is sent.

Can it translate a whole chat automatically?
No. You click Translate on each message you want translated.

Which languages?
Portuguese, English and Spanish, in any direction.

Does my text go to a server?
With Chrome's translator, no. It runs on your computer. Only if Chrome's translator isn't available and you've saved your own OpenAI or Gemini key does the text you click go from your browser to that provider, and WA Folders asks first.

Voice notes in Portuguese, English or Spanish can be translated too, once they're transcribed. How to transcribe WhatsApp Web voice notes on your computer covers that. More WA Folders how-tos: How to make folders in WhatsApp Web, How to search WhatsApp Web messages, and why some don't show up and How to export a WhatsApp Web chat, and what ends up in the file.

If WA Folders saves you some copy-pasting into a translator, a rating on the Chrome Web Store helps other people find it.

How to search WhatsApp Web messages, and why some don't show up

chanoch kamelhar — Tue, 06 Oct 2026 16:41:45 +0000

You remember someone sent an address, a price or a tracking number, but not when or in which chat. Here is how to find it on https://web.whatsapp.com with WhatsApp's own search, what to try when that comes up empty, and what a Chrome extension I built adds on top.

Option 1: WhatsApp Web's built-in search

WhatsApp's help page "How to search WhatsApp" (Web version) describes two ways to search by keyword:

Across your chats. Use the search box at the top of the chat list (on WhatsApp Web it reads "Search or start a new chat"), type the word or phrase, and click a result to open that message in the chat.
Inside one chat. Open the individual or group chat, search there the same way, and click a result to jump to it. The same page also describes searching a chat by date.

On Windows, WhatsApp's keyboard shortcut list gives Ctrl+Alt+Shift+F for searching a chat.

This is the right tool most of the time, because it searches your actual messages and takes you straight to the one you want. If a message you can see on your phone doesn't turn up on WhatsApp Web, search for it on the phone.

Option 2: Local search with WA Folders

WA Folders is a Chrome extension for https://web.whatsapp.com only. It doesn't work in the phone app or the desktop app, it never sends messages, and it isn't affiliated with WhatsApp or Meta. Its search index lives in Chrome's local storage on your computer and never leaves it.

It works alongside WhatsApp's search and covers three things in one place:

Chat names, including chats you haven't opened yet, once WA Folders has seen them in your chat list
Your private notes on chats (notes are a WA Folders feature, so WhatsApp can't search them)
Recent message text from chats you've opened while WA Folders was running

How the index fills up

WA Folders only reads a chat's messages after you open that chat with the extension installed. When you do, it saves the recent text of that chat, roughly the newest 3,000 characters, and updates it each time you come back. That makes it a quick index of recent conversations. It holds a chat's full history only if you use Load whole chat (Pro, below). To stay inside Chrome's storage, the index keeps message text for up to 1,200 chats, a technical limit. Past that, the chats updated longest ago lose their text first, and chats in a folder are never dropped.

A chat you haven't opened still shows up by name if WA Folders has seen it in your chat list, with the note "In your chat list · not opened yet, so its messages aren't searched". Click it to open the chat; from then on its messages are searchable too.

Steps

Install WA Folders: https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/hahfpdlfieloofgjhanljbbnakinfhil?utm_source=devto&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=3h6j
Open https://web.whatsapp.com and open the chats you care about at least once.
In the WA Folders panel, go to Search and type at least 2 characters in "Search chats and notes".
Results show one line per chat with a short snippet around the match. Name matches come first, then notes (marked 📝), then message text.
Click a result to open that chat. It opens the chat, not the exact message, so use WhatsApp's in-chat search and type the word again to jump to it.

If nothing matches, the panel says: "No matches in chat names on screen, chats you've opened, or notes. Scroll the chat list or open the chat once so WA Folders can find it."

Filters and saved searches

Next to the search box:

Folder dropdown limits results to one folder, for example only Clients.
📝 Notes searches only your notes. With an empty search box it lists every chat that has a note.
🔗 Links shows only chats with a link and shows the line with the link, handy for "who sent me that form".
☆ saves the current search and filters. Click its star later to run it again.

Matching ignores upper and lower case but is otherwise exact, so accents and spelling count: "orcamento" won't find "orçamento".

Jump to a chat by name

If you only need to open a chat, press Ctrl+K on WhatsApp Web (or the extension shortcut Alt+Shift+K) to open the WA Folders command palette, and type part of the name of any chat WA Folders knows.

Free and Pro

Free: search shows the first 5 matching chats, followed by "The free plan shows the first 5 matches. Upgrade to Pro for more." with an Upgrade link. You can keep 1 saved search. There's no time limit on the free plan.

Pro has no plan limits, so you see every match and can keep as many saved searches as you like. It also adds full-history search for chats you choose: open a chat, press Load whole chat, and WA Folders scrolls it to the start so WhatsApp loads older messages. That chat's whole text then becomes searchable, marked 📜 in results. A technical limit keeps the newest 400,000 characters per chat, and it can only include what WhatsApp Web can load. Free plan included; Pro is a one-time unlock, see https://wafolders.com.

FAQ

Why doesn't WhatsApp Web find a message I can see on my phone?
WhatsApp Web may not have every older message your phone has. Search for it on the phone.

Why doesn't WA Folders find a chat I know has the word?
Usually one of three things: you haven't opened that chat since installing, the message is older than the recent text WA Folders keeps for that chat, or the spelling or accents differ. On Pro, Load whole chat fixes the second one for that chat.

Does it search photos, voice notes or documents?
No. It searches message text, chat names and your notes.

Where is the index stored, and can I delete it?
In Chrome's local storage in your Chrome profile. Pro sync never copies it, and you can clear it with "Clear search index" in WA Folders Settings. Folders, notes and reminders stay when you do.

Related: How to export a WhatsApp Web chat, and what ends up in the file for saving a chat once you've found it, and How to make folders in WhatsApp Web for setting up folders.

How to export a WhatsApp Web chat, and what ends up in the file

chanoch kamelhar — Tue, 06 Oct 2026 16:39:42 +0000

You're on https://web.whatsapp.com, you need a copy of one conversation (an order thread, a landlord chat, a group decision), and you're looking for an export button in the browser. WhatsApp's own export is documented for the phone app. This post covers that method first, then a way to do it from WhatsApp Web in Chrome.

Option 1: Export chat in the WhatsApp phone app

WhatsApp's help page "How to export your chat history" has steps for Android and iOS. For Android it says:

Open the chat.
Tap More options > More > Export chat.
Tap Without media or Include media.
Choose how to send it, for example by email or to a notes app.

For iPhone, use the iOS tab on the same help page.

The same page notes that Include media attaches the most recent media, and that the export can't be re-imported into WhatsApp because it's a text file, not a backup. If you need the media files themselves, start with the phone.

Option 2: Export from WhatsApp Web with WA Folders

I built WA Folders, a Chrome extension that runs only on https://web.whatsapp.com. It doesn't work in the phone app or the desktop app, it never sends messages, and it isn't affiliated with WhatsApp or Meta. Exports are built in your browser and saved as a normal download. Nothing goes to a WA Folders server; there isn't one.

Steps

Install WA Folders: https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/hahfpdlfieloofgjhanljbbnakinfhil?utm_source=devto&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=46lm
Open https://web.whatsapp.com and open the chat you want.
In the WA Folders panel, under This chat, find the line that starts "Export". On the free plan it reads "Export · 0/3 today · messages loaded on screen".
Click HTML, CSV, Markdown or JSON. The file downloads as WhatsApp - <chat name> - <date>.<ext>, and the panel confirms how many messages it took, for example "Exported 6 messages that were loaded on screen. Use Load whole chat to include everything."

What the file contains (free plan)

A normal export covers the messages loaded on screen in that chat. WhatsApp Web loads a chat in pieces as you scroll, so to include older messages in a free export, scroll up in the chat first. As a technical limit on every plan, one export of the open chat keeps the newest 5,000 loaded messages.

Each message comes with the sender ("You" for your own messages), the time when WhatsApp shows it, and the text. In detail:

Media is labelled. Photos, videos, voice notes, files and stickers appear as [photo], [video], [voice message], [file] or [sticker]. A photo with a caption keeps both the label and the caption. The media files themselves aren't in the export.
Replies come out right. When someone replies to a message, the export shows their reply under their name. The message they quoted isn't copied in as if they wrote it.
Group chats use the group name as the title, and each message has the member's name.
Your private note for that chat, if you wrote one in WA Folders, is included in HTML, Markdown and JSON. CSV has four columns, direction, time, sender and text, and no note.
CSV is UTF-8 with a byte-order mark and Windows line endings, so Excel shows accents and emoji correctly. Where your system uses a comma as the decimal mark (Brazil, most of Europe, Indonesia), the columns are separated with semicolons so Excel splits them. Cells that start with =, +, - or @ get a leading apostrophe so a spreadsheet doesn't run them as formulas.
HTML looks like a chat, with your messages on the right, and opens in any browser. JSON has the chat name, the export time, your note and a list of messages.

Here is a demo chat exported to Markdown, opened in a Markdown viewer. The bakery's reply quoted my earlier message, and the export shows it as the bakery's own text. The photo I sent shows as [photo].

The free plan allows 3 exports a day, counted on your computer and reset at local midnight. Each file counts as one. When you've used them, the buttons grey out and the panel says "Free plan: 3 exports a day, resets at midnight." with an Upgrade link.

What Pro adds

Pro has no plan limits. Free plan included; Pro is a one-time unlock, see https://wafolders.com. For export that means:

Unlimited exports. The counter shows how many you've made today, with no limit.
Load whole chat. It keeps scrolling the open chat to the top so WhatsApp loads older messages, collects them as it goes, and stops when nothing new arrives for a few seconds or when you press Stop. A technical limit stops it at 20,000 messages. If you open another chat while it runs, it stops and collects nothing, so two chats never end up in one file. It can only collect what WhatsApp Web can load.
Whole-folder export. One file for every chat in a WA Folders folder, with each chat's note. It warns you first: it opens each chat in turn, so WhatsApp marks them as read, and it takes what loads on screen for each one. One run opens up to 100 chats, a technical limit. It has a Stop button and reopens the chat you were in.
Password-protected files. Tick "Password-protect exports" and type a password of at least 8 characters. The export becomes a single HTML file encrypted with AES-GCM, using a key derived from your password. It opens in any browser once you type the password. The password isn't saved anywhere, so if you lose it, the file can't be opened.

Which one to use

Use the phone's Export chat when you want the media files or a file WhatsApp itself produced. Use WA Folders when you're already in the browser and want a readable HTML page, a spreadsheet you can filter, Markdown for your notes, or JSON for a script.

FAQ

Can I export a WhatsApp Web chat without an extension?
WhatsApp's export help page covers the phone apps. On the computer you can copy messages by hand, or use Export chat on your phone.

Why does my WA Folders export have fewer messages than the chat?
A normal export only takes what's loaded on screen. Scroll up first, or on Pro use Load whole chat.

Does exporting notify the other person?
No. The file is made in your browser. The one side effect is the Pro folder export, which opens each chat, and WhatsApp marks opened chats as read.

Can I import the file back into WhatsApp?
No. WhatsApp's help page says its own export can't be re-imported, and a WA Folders export is a copy for reading too, not a backup.

Related: How to search WhatsApp Web messages, and why some don't show up explains how to find a message before you export it, and How to organize WhatsApp Web chats into folders covers the folders that whole-folder export works on.

How to organize WhatsApp Web chats into folders

chanoch kamelhar — Tue, 06 Oct 2026 16:39:30 +0000

If you use WhatsApp Web all day, the chat list turns into one long column: clients, family, a school group, a supplier, three people you still owe a reply. This is how I sort that column on https://web.whatsapp.com with WA Folders, a Chrome extension I built. It runs only on WhatsApp Web in Chrome, not in the WhatsApp phone app, and it isn't affiliated with WhatsApp or Meta.

WhatsApp has built-in chat Lists in its apps; see WhatsApp's help pages for where they appear on your devices. WhatsApp describes them as a way to filter your chats into custom categories. If a filter is all you need, start there. The rest of this post is for when you also want notes, reminders and a view of who is waiting on whom.

The two-minute setup

Install WA Folders from the Chrome Web Store: https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/hahfpdlfieloofgjhanljbbnakinfhil?utm_source=devto&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=3374
Open https://web.whatsapp.com. The WA Folders panel sits in the conversation area, so WhatsApp's chat list, search box and filter chips stay clickable.
You start with Family, Work and Clients. On first use the panel can suggest folders from the chat names on screen; nothing is filed until you press Add these.
Open a chat and press Add chat on the folder it belongs in.

The step-by-step version with more screenshots is in How to make folders in WhatsApp Web.

Read the folder tabs

Each folder is a tab above WhatsApp's chat list. Click Home and you see only those chats, with small markers on each row:

↩ reply: they wrote last and you haven't answered
⏰ due: a reminder has come up (before that, the row shows the reminder time)
❓: their last message asks you something
⏳: you wrote last and you're waiting on them
📝: the chat has a private note

Click a chat in the tab view and it opens. Click All to get WhatsApp's normal list back.

File chats automatically

In Settings, under Auto-file rules, you can point a rule at a folder. A rule can match "Chat name contains", "Chat name starts with", "Phone number starts with" (for example +44) or "Every group chat". It files chats as WA Folders sees them in the list or when you open them. If you take a chat out of a folder by hand, the rule won't add it back. The free plan has 1 rule.

Notes and reminders on a chat

With a chat open, the This chat section of the panel has a private note box ("owes me $40", "meter reading due by the 5th"). The note is saved only on your computer and is never sent to the other person.

Below it are reminder buttons: 1 h, 3 h, Tomorrow 9:00, Monday 9:00, or Pick… for any time. Once set, the panel shows something like "⏰ Reminder: Wed, Oct 7, 9:00 AM" with Change and Clear. The chat waits under Due until then and leaves Needs reply in the meantime.

In a one-to-one chat where you wrote last, you can also pick "Remind me if they don't reply" in 1 day or 3 days. If they answer first, the follow-up clears itself. If not, the chat shows up under Due, with a number on the toolbar icon and, if you allow them in Settings, a desktop notification. On the free plan you can have 2 reminders at a time, and a follow-up counts as one.

Smart views and the Today line

Above the folders, the panel has Smart views that work across all chats: Unread on screen, Needs reply, Questions for me, Waiting on them, Due and Unfiled. Unfiled is the fastest way to find chats you haven't sorted yet. On first load, Needs reply, Questions for me and Waiting on them fill from the chat rows WhatsApp has drawn (unread badge, preview and your own ticks); after that they use the chats you've opened on this computer. Unread on screen only counts the drawn rows too, so scroll the list if a count looks low.

The Today line at the top of the panel sums it up as small counts, for example ⏰ 1 due, ↩ 6 to reply, ❓ 4 questions and ⏳ 4 waiting. Click a count to open that list. Waiting on them only lists one-to-one chats, after a delay you choose in Settings (4 hours, 1 day, 2 days or 3 days).

Free and Pro limits

Free: 5 folders, 1 auto-file rule, 2 reminders at a time and 3 quick replies, among other limits, with no time limit. When you reach one, the panel tells you and shows an Upgrade link. For a sixth folder it says: "The free plan holds 5 folders. Rename one with ✎, or upgrade to Pro for more."

Pro has no plan limits: unlimited folders, rules, reminders, quick replies, search results, exports and the rest. It also adds sync of your folder setup between your own Chrome browsers through Chrome Sync. Sync copies folder names, colours, which chats are in each folder (chat names only), quick replies and rules. Messages, notes, reminders and the search index never leave the computer. You paste the license key (it starts with WAF-) into the toolbar popup. Free plan included; Pro is a one-time unlock, see https://wafolders.com.

Backup and restore to a JSON file is in Settings on both plans.

FAQ

Will my folders show up in the WhatsApp phone app?
No. WA Folders folders live in Chrome on the computer where you made them, and Pro sync only reaches your other Chrome browsers. For something on your phone, look at WhatsApp's own Lists.

Can I use it with the WhatsApp desktop app?
No. It only runs on https://web.whatsapp.com in Chrome.

Does it send messages or read chats on a server?
It never presses Send. Quick replies and AI drafts are typed into the message box and you send them yourself. There is no bulk send, no broadcasts and no auto-reply. Chat data stays in Chrome's local storage; there is no WA Folders server. The one exception you can choose is the optional "my own API key" AI setting, which sends the messages you ask about straight to the AI provider you picked.

What happens when WhatsApp changes its page?
The panel says so and offers "Copy diagnostics", a report that lists which page parts were found, with no chat names or messages in it.

Related: How to make folders in WhatsApp Web for the quick setup, and Reminders and Due on WhatsApp Web for more on reminders.

How to make folders in WhatsApp Web

chanoch kamelhar — Tue, 06 Oct 2026 16:38:54 +0000

Short answer: To make folders on WhatsApp Web (web.whatsapp.com in Chrome on a computer), install the free WA Folders extension, open WhatsApp Web, open a chat, and press Add chat on a folder in the WA Folders panel. Your folders then appear as tabs above the chat list. WhatsApp also has built-in chat Lists in its apps; see WhatsApp's help pages for where they appear on your devices.

WA Folders runs only on WhatsApp Web in desktop Chrome. It does not work in the WhatsApp phone app, and it is not affiliated with WhatsApp or Meta. I built WA Folders, so this is the maker's how-to.

Steps

Install WA Folders. Open the WA Folders page on the Chrome Web Store (https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/hahfpdlfieloofgjhanljbbnakinfhil?utm_source=devto&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=1gbp) and click Add to Chrome. A welcome tab opens.
Open WhatsApp Web. Go to https://web.whatsapp.com and wait for your chats to load. The WA Folders panel appears in the conversation area, beside your chats, so it doesn't cover the chat list. On a narrow window it folds into a small tab. Click the tab to open the panel.
Optional: let it suggest folders. On first use, with chats on screen and nothing filed yet, the panel can offer "Sort a few chats now?" with folders suggested from the chat names on screen. Untick anything you don't want and press Add these, or press No thanks. Nothing is filed until you press Add these. You can bring the suggestions back later from the command palette (Ctrl+K) with "Suggest folders for the chats on screen".

Create or rename folders. You start with three empty folders: Family, Work and Clients. Click ✎ next to a folder to rename it or give it a colour or emoji. For a new folder, type a name in the New folder name box under the folder list and press Add. The free plan holds 5 folders.
Add chats. Open a chat in WhatsApp as usual. In the panel, press Add chat on the folder it belongs in. The button then says Remove, and pressing it takes the chat out again. A chat can be in more than one folder.

Use the folder tabs. Your folders appear as tabs above WhatsApp's chat list. Click a tab to see only that folder's chats, and click a chat to open it. Click All to get WhatsApp's full chat list back.

Once chats are in folders, the This chat section of the panel lets you write a private note or set a reminder on the open chat. The Today line at the top of the panel shows what's due, who is waiting for your reply, who asked you a question, and who you're still waiting on.

FAQ

Does WA Folders work in the WhatsApp phone app?
No. It runs only on https://web.whatsapp.com in Chrome on a computer, and your WA Folders folders do not appear on your phone. Pro sync copies your folder setup to your other Chrome browsers, not to the phone.

Is it free? What are the limits?
The free plan has no time limit. It includes 5 folders, 5 search results, 3 exports a day, 2 reminders at a time, 3 quick replies, 1 auto-file rule, 3 AI answers a day, 5 chats on the deal board and 1 saved search. When you reach one of these, the panel says so and shows an Upgrade link.

Pro has no plan limits: folders, search results, exports, reminders, quick replies, rules, AI answers, deal-board chats and saved searches are all unlimited. It also adds Load whole chat with full-history search, whole-folder and password-protected exports, a PIN lock, and sync between your Chrome browsers. A few technical limits apply on every plan. For example, one export of the open chat keeps the newest 5,000 loaded messages. Free plan included; Pro is a one-time unlock, see https://wafolders.com.

Is my data uploaded anywhere?
Folders, notes, reminders and the search index stay in Chrome's local storage on your computer. There is no WA Folders account, no WA Folders server, and no analytics. Three things leave the browser only if you turn them on: the AI feature with your own API key sends the messages you ask about to the provider you picked; Pro sync copies folder names, which chats are in each folder, quick replies and rules through Chrome Sync on your own Google account; and Pro checks your license key with Polar.

How is this different from WhatsApp's Lists?
Lists are part of WhatsApp, so there is nothing to install. WhatsApp describes them as a way to filter your chats into custom categories; its help pages explain where they appear on your devices. WA Folders keeps its folders in Chrome on one computer and adds things a filter doesn't: a private note on each chat, reminders and "remind me if they don't reply" follow-ups, Waiting on them and Questions for me lists, local search of chat names, notes and messages it has seen, and export. WA Folders doesn't read or change your Lists, so you can use both.

Can I export a folder or a chat?
Yes. You can export the open chat to HTML, CSV, Markdown or JSON, 3 times a day on the free plan. The export covers the messages loaded on screen, and media is labelled, for example [voice message] or [photo]. Pro can load and export a whole chat from the start, export a whole folder in one file, and make password-protected files.

Does it work on Windows?
Yes, in Chrome. Version 1.2.4 and later include Windows fixes: safe file names, CSV files that open correctly in Excel, and mouse-wheel scrolling of the folder tabs.

Does WA Folders send messages?
No. It never presses Send. Quick replies and AI reply drafts are typed into the message box, and you press Enter yourself. It has no bulk send, broadcasts or auto-replies.

What is the privacy blur shortcut?
The default is Alt+Shift+U, or you can turn blur on and off with the eye button in the panel. You can change the shortcut at chrome://extensions/shortcuts. If it shows "Not set" there, Chrome skipped it because another extension already uses that key, so pick your own. Blur hides names, photos and messages, and you can hover to peek. Alt+Shift+H hides WhatsApp Web at once; press it again or click Show to bring it back.

Related: How to organize WhatsApp Web chats into folders covers folder tabs, auto-file rules and reminders in more depth, and Find WhatsApp Web chats where you're still waiting for a reply explains the Waiting on them list.

Get WA Folders on the Chrome Web Store: https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/hahfpdlfieloofgjhanljbbnakinfhil?utm_source=devto&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=1gbp

Find WhatsApp Web chats where you're still waiting for a reply

chanoch kamelhar — Mon, 05 Oct 2026 18:22:37 +0000

You sent a quote, a question, or "can you confirm Thursday?" Two days later you can't remember who answered. WhatsApp Web shows Unread, but nothing for "I spoke last and heard nothing back."

I built WA Folders for that gap. It's a Chrome extension for https://web.whatsapp.com only (not the phone app). Disclosure: I'm the maker.

What you need

Chrome on a computer
WhatsApp Web signed in
WA Folders: https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/wa-folders/hahfpdlfieloofgjhanljbbnakinfhil?utm_source=devto&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=e4h

Written against WA Folders 1.2.4. The current Chrome Web Store version is 1.2.9.

The Today line

Open WhatsApp Web and wait for your chats. The top of the WA Folders panel has a Today line with up to four counts (a count only shows when it's above zero):

Due: reminders that have come up
To reply: chats waiting on you
Questions for me: chats where their last message asks you something
Waiting on them: one-to-one chats where you sent the last message and got nothing back

Click a count to filter the panel to that list, and click it again to go back. When nothing is pending, the line says "No one waiting in the chats you've opened." On a fresh install, WA Folders fills the lists from the chat rows on screen: one-to-one chats with an unread badge go to To reply, and chats whose last message shows your own ticks go to Waiting on them. If a row shows neither, WA Folders doesn't guess, and the line can say "Open a few chats so I can learn who's waiting on you." until it has seen more.

Waiting on them

This list shows one-to-one chats where your message is the last one, after a delay you choose in Settings: 4 hours, 1 day (the default), 2 days or 3 days. Groups are left out on purpose, since "nobody answered in the family group" is rarely a to-do.

On first load it reads the chat rows WhatsApp has drawn on screen (preview, time, your own ticks), so scroll the list to include more. Once you open a chat, what WA Folders sees there replaces that first guess. It reads what's on the page and doesn't call WhatsApp's servers.

Questions for me

This one lists chats where the other person spoke last and their message has a question mark in it (links are ignored). It's a simple rule, so "ok?" counts and "let me know when you're free" doesn't. On first load it uses the chat-list preview instead: an unread one-to-one chat whose preview ends in a question mark. In practice it catches most of the "did you see this?" messages that slip by.

Follow-ups that clear themselves

Right after you send something, open This chat in the panel. Under "Remind me if they don't reply" pick 1 day or 3 days. Follow-ups are for one-to-one chats; for a group, use a normal reminder.

If they answer before then, the follow-up disappears on its own.
If they don't, the chat shows up under Due, with a badge on the toolbar icon and an optional desktop notification.

The free plan holds 2 reminders at a time, and a follow-up counts as one. Pro has no limit on reminders. Free plan included; Pro is a one-time unlock, see https://wafolders.com.

Optional: a 9:00 morning digest

In Settings you can turn on one notification at 9:00 each morning with the same four counts. It needs notification permission and is off by default.

What it doesn't do

It never presses Send. No bulk send, no auto-reply, no broadcasts.
No WA Folders account or server. Data stays in chrome.storage.local on this device.
Not affiliated with WhatsApp or Meta.

Soft ask

If this list saved you from a forgotten "can you confirm?", a one-line review on the Chrome Web Store helps the next person decide. No perk for writing one.

Listing: https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/wa-folders/hahfpdlfieloofgjhanljbbnakinfhil?utm_source=devto&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=e4h

Related: How to organize WhatsApp Web chats into folders shows the Today line and Smart views with screenshots, and How to make folders in WhatsApp Web covers setup. Search and export have their own guides: How to search WhatsApp Web messages, and why some don't show up and How to export a WhatsApp Web chat, and what ends up in the file.